Which Witch is Which?
by wickedmetalviking1990
Summary: Elphaba and Galinda mysteriously swap bodies, but can they survive in each other's shoes long enough to find out how to reverse this unfortunate spell? musical-verse, after "Popular" but before the Lion Cub scene.
1. Opposite Morning

**(AN: It's good to see me, it's it, fellow Ozians? [no need to respond, that was rhetorical!])**

**(I think that I just have it out against my _Ozian Adventures_ series: I just want to bring it to a close, but not where it's at. So, instead, I'm going to try to work on this story, which came to mind one bright, sunny day. I don't know if someone's already done this, but in case it hasn't been done, here it is. Once again, recognizeable _Wicked_ characters do not belong to me.)**

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><p><strong>Opposite Morning<strong>

A bright and beautiful morning would soon rise upon the university town of Shiz. For the students, classes would begin momentarily: yet here, in the wee hours before dawn, they had the time to prepare themselves for the day. The most studious were up and awake first thing, while those who favored festivating over studying slept in.

In a certain double suite, Galinda Upland woke early that morning. This was hardly normal, for she was usually the last to awake, made so by her room-mate's frustrated attempts to wake her from whatever party she was now suffering hang-over affects. The tiny blond pushed herself up from the pink, frilly covers of her bed, her blue eyes wide open with amazement as she looked about the room.

Suddenly, she jumped with a start, glaring suspiciously at her bed. Her gaze fell down to her hands, which made the little blond gasp and do a double-take.

"What in Oz's name?" the blond breathed her inquiry.

Just then, a curious look appeared across her face and she crossed the room to her room-mate's bed. In stark contrast to the pink, frilly nightmare, the side that belonged to her room-mate, Elphaba Thropp, was drab and laconic: her wardrobe was empty save for a single suit-case, and her bed was clad in simple sheets of a dull, blue-gray color. Everything, also, as little as she had, was arrayed in a very neat and orderly fashion.

It's occupant, however, was not looking neat or orderly. She was sprawled out on the bed, snoring away loudly. Even clad in her dark blue night gown and covered in gray sheets, there was no denying the fact that her skin was as green as the leaves of the Pine Barrens in Munchkinland.

Galinda leaned over and gave her room-mate a gentle nudge. "Wake up," she added. Unfortunately, this was hardly enough to get her up. The tiny blond gave the slumbering green girl a harder push and shouted "Wake up!" a little too sternly than she had intended. What happened next was the most unexpected thing anyone could have thought to come from the green girl's lips.

"Five more minutes, Momsy," she mumbled, in a tone that was all too tired and girlish beyond her natural wont.

"Galinda Upland, wake up!" the blond almost shouted.

The green girl slowly rose up from the bed, mumbling incoherently and swearing that the Time Dragon Clock has been making the morning come earlier every day. Suddenly, as her brown eyes came into focus, she came to a wavering halt, staring straight at Galinda. She let out the most ear-piercing scream either of them had heard ever, in the whole several months they had known each other.

"Galinda, please!" the blond said. "Some of us would like to hear when we're forty."

"What is this?" the green girl gasped. She looked down at herself, then screamed again. But the little blond was prepared for this, and stuffed her hands over her ears.

"I'm _green!_" Elphaba shouted.

"Please, try to calm down." the little blond said.

"Calm down? Don't tell me to be calm, Galinda! I..." Just then, she came to a halt. "Elphie?"

"Afraid so," the blond returned.

The green girl screamed again, flailing her arms about in a way that the blond knew she would never be caught dead doing.

"Come on, Galinda. For Oz's sake, calm down."

"But why do you look like me?"

"I haven't got the faintest idea," the blond returned. "Now, please, calm down before all of Shiz wakes up on account of your screaming."

"I wasn't screaming," the green girl denied.

The blond rolled her eyes, then got about making the drab bed on the non-pink side of the room. Deep inside, beyond the pretty face, the soul of the green, outcast girl was trying desperately to comprehend this unexpected turn of events.

_Why_, she asked nobody, somebody, anybody. _am I stuck in Galinda's body?_

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><p><strong>(AN: Here's another funny, light-hearted <em>Wicked<em> story. I don't know if it's already been done on here, but I thought, it's cute and it's funny, and it brings our two main characters together [and has a lot of outside potential], so why not?)**


	2. First Day

**(AN: Wow, I can't tell you how thrillified I am to see the reaction to this story, and I've only got one chapter out! You've given me lots of inspiration to keep going, thank you very much!)**

**(Warning, there's a bit of suggestive dialogue in this chapter: nothing to write home about, though. lol. Also, how should I refer to our characters? So far, I call them by their opposite name [Elphaba is called Galinda, and so forth], but that's gonna get confusifying, won't it? Any suggestions?)**

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><p><strong>First Day<strong>

The morning wore on, with the first classes the girls were to attend fast approaching, and yet they were still in their dorm-room. They were getting themselves together, ready to face the day and its troubles in each other's bodies. Well, as far as the green girl, trapped inside Galinda's tiny body, she was milling through her room-mate's wardrobe, stuffed nigh on to bursting with dresses, hand-bags and shoes of all shapes and colors.

Galinda herself, meanwhile, was examining the tall, green-skinned body she was currently inhabiting.

"I never realized how _tall_ you are, Elphie!" the green girl exclaimed, looking down at the floor. The blond wasn't paying attention, she was looking at the sea of clothes her room-mate possessed.

"Don't you have anything darker?" the blond asked, but her room-mate, Galinda in Elphaba's body, was paying attention to nothing save for her reflection.

"Sweet Oz, Elphaba!" the green girl exclaimed, clutching her chest. "You're almost flat!"

"Thanks a lot!" the blond returned. Looking back, she noticed what her room-mate was doing. "Galinda, will you take your hands off my breasts!"

Galinda, in Elphaba's body, removed her hands and her face flushed a light color of violet.

"What are you doing, Elphie?" the green girl asked.

"Getting dressed," the blond sighed. "We'll have to try and figure this out on our free time, we still have classes to attend." She groaned in frustration again. "Do you have _anything_ darker?"

At the exact same time, the green girl asked: "Do you have anything brighter?"

"No!" they both replied, as if on cue.

"I am _so_ not leaving this room in one of your drabilocious blue frocks!" the green girl stated.

Galinda, meanwhile, picked out the white uniform skirt, blouse and matching jacket that she had seen Galinda wear on the first day of school. White wasn't exactly Elphaba's favorite color, but it was better than light blue, light yellow and, Oz save her, _pink!_ On the other side of the room, Elphaba was throwing on the only thing that Elphaba had that was not black: the 'drabilocious' blue frock.

"Okay," Galinda said to Elphaba. "Listen, here's my agenda book." She walked across the room to her side, and picked up a notebook which had the classes she took marked. "We only have two classes together: History and Madam Morrible's Sorcery lecture. I need to know which classes _you've_ got."

Elphaba walked over to the pink bed and picked up a pink, furry notebook and handed it to Galinda.

"It's pink?" Galinda queried.

"Yes, what else?" Elphaba asked, flashing a smile that Galinda knew the green girl would never have shown. She then walked over to the wardrobe and gave an exasperated cry of shock.

"What's wrong, Galinda?" Galinda asked.

"You have only _one_ pair of shoes!" Elphaba breathed. "And it's these hideocious soldier boots!"

"And all your shoes have ridiculously high heels!" Galinda exclaimed.

"You've never used heels before?" Elphaba asked.

Outside, the bell tolling the hour of nine sounded. Galinda swore, then grabbed a pair of white heels, her little hat, and the pink notebook in hand and left the room. Behind her, Elphaba said something about a white hand-bag and mascara.

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><p>Frantically, the tiny blond was making her way out of the women's dormitory, looking through the fuzzy pink notebook. Galinda's schedule, it seemed, was minimalistic at the very best. She only had Beautification and History as her two morning classes, with Public Relations in the afternoon and Sorcery once a week towards the evening. Talk about a light class load.<p>

It suddenly dawned in Elphaba's mind that, apart from History and Morrible's Sorcery class, she didn't have a clue where Galinda's other two classes met. In the back of her mind, she believed that Galinda probably made a habit of showing up late or not at all, but, a lifetime of perfect attendance made it second nature for Elphaba to be right on time. This made her a bit frantic as she searched the tall, vine-draped school buildings.

"Galinda!" a voice called her name out loudly. She turned around to see who had called her, spun and tripped on her heel and fell flat on her rear. Just then, she saw a beaming face with a red cap appear above her: she recognized that youthful yet slavish expression anywhere.

"Sweet Oz, Galinda!" Boq exclaimed. "Here, let me help you up!"

In surprise, she did not accept Boq's hand immediately, but stared at it.

"What, what's wrong?" he asked.

"You...you really want to help me?" Galinda asked.

"Galinda," he returned. "You know I'd do _anything_ in the world for you!"

She accepted his hand and he pulled her up to her feet, where she swayed uneasily on her heels.

"Thanks, Boq." she replied. Immediately she knew that she had misspoken, for Boq gasped in shock.

"You remembered my name!" he exclaimed gleefully.

Thinking quickly, she replied: "Come again, Bick?"

His expression faded to mild annoyance. "Never mind."

"Uh, listen," she replied. "I _really_ have to go. I'm gonna be late for my first class."

"Well, here, I'll walk you there!" Boq offered.

"Uh, no thanks," she replied, feeling a little uncomfortable. "I, uh, I think I'll just go by myself." She began walking away.

"That way!" he pointed in the opposite direction.

"Beg your pardon?"

"I memorized your schedule," he replied. "That way I know whenever you've got a free period and we can meet. Your Beautification class is that way, second building on the left, first floor, classroom D."

"Thanks," she waved back at him and went on her way. She saw that Boq was still standing there, waving furiously in her direction whenever she as much as looked back at him. In her mind, she was starting to get a little concerned.

_This can't be right_, Elphaba thought. _I need to talk to Galinda about this_.

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><p>In the days of yore, Shiz University housed academic programs for the best and brightest of the students of Gilikin, or even the children of wealthy Munchkinlanders. As the years went by, more and more 'contemporary' or 'Ozmopolitan' classes were introduced to the Shiz curriculum. One of these was the Beautification class, which usually produced salonists and employers of the many beauty parlors in the Emerald City.<p>

It was also the only class at Shiz that Elphaba ever sat through that made her feel like falling asleep.

In her mind, it was such a useless class, one that, in her mind, encouraged young girls to be superficial and have their lives revolve around the outer person. At the very least, it meant retaining the old stereotypes and keeping women in roles that weren't important. At the worst, it reinforced the "looks only matter" ideology that made her an outcast.

Fortunately, it was over before Elphaba, in Galinda's body that is, could storm out of it. Since she had a free period between now and History class, she made her way to the Library to get some studying done. As usual, heads were turning as she walked across the grounds of Shiz, but their expressions were different from what she was used to expecting. Instead of glares or amazed stares from those who could not comprehend that this girl was actually green, she saw admiration, adoration, even envy.

She went on her way, trying not to look back at them. This was what she wanted, deep down inside: she had always wanted to be normal, to be loved - even secretly dreamed that the Wizard might even be able to degreenify her. But this was not what she wanted, to be ogled and looked at in this way. It was more attention than she wanted, and that was saying a lot: for deep down inside, for every outward detail that was different between her and Galinda, she knew that they had many things in common.

Including the desire to be loved.

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><p><strong>(AN: Was going to be longer, but it started to get tedious. There's bound to be more to this story than just a humorous little diddy, as you can see in this chapter.)<strong>

**(Tell us what you think.)**


	3. Midday Madness

**(AN: Thank you for all the reviews. Sorry that it took a while, but here is the next chapter, and a little more depth about this silly idea of mine.)**

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><p><strong>Midday Madness<strong>

In the time after her Beautification class, Elphaba in Galinda's body found herself with a lot of free time as she waited for History class to meet. Her mind was buzzing, thinking about what could have happened that caused this? Maybe she could bring it up at Madam Morrible's sorcery class Thursday evening. With a sigh, she made her way toward the library. Suddenly, hands covered her face and she gave a yelp of surprise.

"Can you guess who?" a young man's voice asked knavishly.

"Fiyero Tiggular," she returned.

"Right you are!" The face of Shiz's resident scandalacious Winkie prince appeared before her, beaming his usual self-absorbed smile. "And how is the most beautiful girl in Shiz doing today?" He planted a kiss on her cheek.

Inside, Elphaba could barely keep herself together. This close, she saw that he was rather handsome, and he had actually _kissed_ her! _No!_ her common sense told her. He kissed _Galinda_, not me. He liked _her_, she was _his_ girlfriend. All she was was inhabiting Galinda's body. Then what was this feeling erupting within her, so sudden and new?

"So, are we still on for tonight?" Fiyero asked her.

"Tonight?" she asked.

"Boar and Fennel, eight o'clock." he returned. "For our date."

She gulped. Galinda had already made plans and now she, Elphaba in Galinda's body, had to be tied down to those duties. It wasn't like the chance to spend time with this silly rich boy was on Elphaba's top priority at the moment. Still, it was nice for someone to look at her and not see vibrant green skin. For all of her life, about twenty-one years of it, her damnable green skin had acted like an impassable wall between her and the rest of the world. Before, that wall had come down between herself and Galinda. As much as she loved Galinda, for all of her stupidities and annoyances, something wished that she could have the same kind of relationship with someone else. She was tempted to enjoy her time in Galinda's body and grow closer to Fiyero.

But her common sense returned. He was a shallow, self-absorbed, silly rich boy. He was only interested because she was in Galinda's body. He wouldn't give _her_, Elphaba, the time of day under any other circumstances: or under _any_ circumstances period. She could not let herself get carried away: her main objective was finding a way to reverse this spell.

"Galinda?" he asked. "Sweet-heart, are you okay?"

"Huh? Wha?" she realized that she had been staring off into space. "Um, yeah, I think so. It's...I mean, yeah. Eight, right?"

"See you in a few, Galinda." he said. She gave him a quizzical expression. "History class, I think. I'll probably drop by, hang around until I get bored then skive off. Why don't you join me?"

Elphaba could feel Galinda's little hands shaking as supreme frustration and annoyance coursed through her being at this silly rich boy and his antics. Join him indeed! He walked off, to do whatever other mischief he was about to do, while she saw, taking a look at the clock on the bell-tower, that History would be starting in ten minutes time.

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><p>She pushed through the huge oaken doors and made her way to her seat, only remembering that it would not be <em>her<em> seat that she would be sitting in. She walked across to the other bench where Galinda usually sat and took her seat.

"Why, Miss Glinda!" the shaggy baritone voice of Dr. Dillamond called out. "This is an unexpected, yet pleasant, surprise!"

"What is, Dr. Dillamond?" she asked.

"Why, that you're early for my class," the Goat replied. "I hope it is a habit that catches on."

She smiled, though this was a little annoying to her, that Galinda had little respect for her classes and showed up late to the ones that were most important. After class, she was determined to have a word with her room-mate and sort things out concerning this.

However, as the class-room began to fill up with students, Galinda could not see any sign of Elphaba - which would be easy. As the hours ticked down, she saw Nessarose make her way into the classroom unattended. This made Galinda very nervous, since she guessed that, eventually, Galinda - the _real_ Galinda - would have to realize that she would have to attend Nessa. The class went on and there was still no sign of the popular blond trapped in the green girl's body.

At last the bell rang and the students began to disperse. Dr. Dillamond, meanwhile, was trying in vain to remind them that they had a two-page essay on Ozma the Bilious and how her rulings affected modern Oz. Galinda walked over to Nessarose, as quickly as these cumbersome heels could take her.

"Nessi...I mean, Nessarose," she called out. The invalid turned toward her and, for the first time in her life, the Elphaba inside Galinda's body saw Nessarose greet her with a look other than shame and embarrassment. How she wanted to see Nessarose look at her with that kind of friendly openness every day for the rest of her life.

"Yes, Galinda, what is it?" Nessa asked pleasantly. Oh, how Elphaba longed to hear Nessa speak that way to her.

"Uh, where is...I mean, have you seen Elphaba?" Galinda asked.

"No, I haven't," Nessa said. "I saw her in my Government class, but she stormed out half-way through."

"That doesn't sound like her," Galinda said.

"She's insane, if you ask me," Nessa rolled her eyes. "Speaks one thing and then does another, and usually that other thing is totally and completely embarrassifiying."

"'Embarrassifying?'" Galinda asked.

"It's like being embarrassed and mortified at the same time," Nessa replied.

"I see," Galinda nodded.

Just as she was leaving Nessarose, she saw Shenshen and Pfannee, two of the real Galinda's toady-friends, slink past her on some mission of mischief. As they passed, she thought she heard something about the bridge by Suicide Canal. The words "crying" and "green freak" also stood out as they passed by, and Elphaba did not even know that Galinda's mouth was hanging open.

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><p>Throwing all caution to the wind - which was not very hard to do, since Galinda was not pressed for time, her next class didn't start for another two hours - she ran, or stumbled along (<em>Damn these heels!<em> Elphaba thought) across the grounds of the University until she came to the picturesque bridge over Suicide Canal. Some crazy thought came to her head and she ran across the top of the bridge, looking for the green girl. Another crazy idea popped into her head and she looked over one side into the river, then she came to the other and saw, huddled on the shore, back to the stone wall of the bridge, a thin, spidery-looking figure clad in blue school uniform with raven black hair flowing freely.

She got off the road and climbed down the embankment, or slid down, since her heels had absolutely no climability, and knelt at the figure's side. She saw that it was indeed Elphaba, wearing the heavy boots and clad in her blue school uniform. Her face, however, was buried in her knees and she could hear, over the endless song of the river, quiet sobbing.

"Galinda?" she asked.

"Go away," a voice, broken with sadness, moped from behind the curtain of black hair.

"Galinda," the blond put her hands on her hips. "You know that nobody else knows you're really Galinda Upland besides me." She saw, however, that her room-mate was still sobbing. "Oh, Galinda, what's wrong?"

"It was h-horrible," sobbed the green girl. "I was in Government class, and then some boys started throwing things at me. And then Avaric Tenmeadows threw a rock, it hit me on the back of the head! Then he asked as loud as possible if my...if, if my hoo-hoo was green."

"Your what?" the bemused green-girl in Galinda's body asked. Her room-mate replied with a four-letter dirty word that sounded like 'cat'. Galinda pulled back with a look of utter shock and rage on her face.

"How dare he!" she raged, a vein appearing in her forehead.

"Then they all started saying some very mean and-and inappropriate things," the blond girl in Elphaba's body sobbed on. "Talking about lettuce and-and...oh, Elphie, it was so horrible!"

"Well, did the teacher say anything?"

The raven-haired head shook side-to-side. The blond sighed, looked about her person, then remembered that she didn't have Galinda's handbag. Without thinking, she knelt down, reached out her hand, dove into the sea of black hair and wiped the deep, brown eyes that had once been her own.

"It'll be alright, Galinda," she said.

"How?" the other one sobbed. "All I hear is Avaric laughing at me!"

"Come on, then," she stood up, swaying slightly as she took to her heels. "We'll do something about this." She held out her hand to the green girl. After a while, she accepted and let the tiny blond pull her up.

"But what are we going to do," the green girl asked. "About those grass-stains on my white skirt?"

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><p><strong>(AN: I hope you can see that this idea, hopefully, as a lot deeper potential than just a funny, silly story of the classic out-of-body experience. Sorry for the wait, also.)<strong>


	4. Avenging the Afternoon

**(AN: Hello again, and sorry for the extraneous wait. I've got a few ideas for this story, but I don't know where to take them. I mean, should I go all the way, and have them switched all throughout Act I, and maybe even into Act II? Or does this sound like a Shiz-only thing, but one that has permanent, lasting ramifications deep into the second act portion of the story?)  
><strong>

**(You probably noticed the use of Kristin Chenoweth's word for the [ahem] female nether-organ in the previous chapter. I don't know why, but I've got her as Galinda and Rachel Tucker as Elphaba in mind as I'm writing this story. Weird, huh? [how would that go, Chener, or Tuckoweth? On that same note, now that Louise Dearman isn't G[a]linda anymore - :'( - what do we call Rachel and Gina, Becker?]. Okay, enough stalling, here's the long-awaited fourth chapter.)  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Avenging the Afternoon<strong>

The tall, thin green girl was being dragged by the little blond one, who was stumbling at almost every other step and cursing her heels. They were now back in the University common grounds, and more than a few judgmental eyes were being cast their way, and whispers echoed among the groups they passed by.

"Elphie," the green woman hissed to the blond at the head. "Please, don't do this!"

The blond said nothing, but went on to the lawn out in front of Briscoe Hall, where Avaric and a trio of toadies were idling.

"Avaric Tenmeadows!" the little blond Galinda bellowed at the equally straw-haired Gilikin boy.

"Well well," he smiled as she approached. "What brings you here?"

"I heard what you did to her," Galinda began, indicating to the green girl whose was herself, and yet...not. "And I want you to apologize!"

"You're not my mother, so why the f..."

"Apologize!"

"Fine, I'm sorry..." His tone was less than apologetic.

"Please, let's just go," Elphaba whispered to Galinda. "I don't want to cause a scene."

"You need to start standing up for yourself!" the blond replied.

"Why are you so interested in Miss Cabbage here?"

"I don't like it when you make my room-mate cry!"

Avaric hooted with laughter, then turned to his mates. "Well, it seems that Miss Upland will be _eating_ her vegetables tonight, if you know what I mean!" This elicited raucous, naughty laughter from them, and from him as well.

_Wham!_ Before anyone could react, a tiny pink fist hit Avaric right in the nose, sending him to his knees and moaning in pain.

"You wanna make fun of someone's skin color?" Galinda roared. "Have fun being red, black and blue!" She then turned to Elphaba and dragged her along as they left the scene.

"Elphie," the green girl hissed. "Why did you do that?"

"Galinda," the blond began. "You can't go through life letting other people fight your battles for you. Oz, you need to stand up for yourself more often!"

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Well, I mean, there's always Momsy and Popsicle," she replied. "They've always got my back."

At this, Galinda clammed up and looked away from the green girl at her side.

"Oh, Elphie, I'm sorry, I guess I..."

"Don't say it!" Galinda bit back a little too harshly.

As they went, they passed by the real Galinda's 'friends' Pfannee and Shenshen. When the two saw Galinda and Elphaba, they went into a rendition of an old Munchkinlander nursery rhyme, which involved Galinda and Elphaba kissing in a tree.

"That's mean!" Elphaba pouted.

"Forget them," Galinda waved. "They're...well..."

"Snub-nosed meanie-heads?" came out of Elphaba's mouth, in Elphaba's voice, though the _real_ Elphaba Thropp would have never said something so silly and childish.

"Come on, Galinda," the blond took Elphaba's arm in her arm. "Let's go to the Library."

"The Library?" Elphaba exclaimed. "But what if people _see_ me there?"

"We need to study, and your next class is close."

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><p>The real Galinda Upland didn't frequent the library often, so she didn't encounter anyone she knew there. Elphaba, meanwhile, had a little place of her own where the other students wouldn't bother her - usually one wasn't bothered in a library, but here, Elphaba Thropp could lose herself among the musty tomes, some of them dating back to the time of the Ozmas, when the Emerald City was called Ozma Town and made of marble.<p>

"Elphie?" the green girl spoke up. Galinda shushed her, and she continued whispering. "Have you ever, um, well, you know...uh..."

"Maybe if you completed your sentences, I might be able to answer you." the blond said.

"Sorry. Well, I mean, I was thinking. Are you, well, I mean, do you..._do_ the deed with, um..."

"Are you talking about sex?"

A hint of purplish blush appeared in the green girl's cheeks and she nodded bashfully.

"Not much to tell there, is there?" the blond whispered in a semi-annoyed reply. "I mean, I know how everything works, but I've really thought of _that_ as something I could take part in."

"That's not what I meant," Elphaba replied. "I mean, well, what Shenshen and Pfannee said, I know it's mean and probably not my business, but...well, I was wondering..."

At this, Elphaba snickered softly. "Trust me, Galinda, it's not going to happen. And I'm not open for experimentation."

"I wasn't asking about..." Once more, the purplish blush came to Elphaba's cheeks. "Oh, never mind, it was a stupid question."

"Probably," Galinda returned. "Now listen, are we going to discuss my non-existent sex life, or shall we keep studying?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

"Do you even _know_ what 'rhetorical' means?"

"I do too!" she exclaimed. "I got many A's in my Linguification class."

Angry yet subdued shushes came from nearby patrons of the Library. As the noise subsided, leaving only the scratching of pencils upon their papers. Within the mind of the _real_ green girl, she ponderated if she should tell the out-of-body Galinda what happened between her and Fiyero today. She wanted to keep it a secret: after all, what harm could it do? She could act like Galinda convincingly enough, and what was the worst thing that Fiyero could...then came all the doubts and worries that she felt made telling the real Galinda obligatory.

"Galinda," she spoke up.

"Yes?" Elphaba sang in a high-pitched, bubbly voice that, deep inside, the _real_ Elphaba swore would never come out of her dark-green lips again.

"I ran into Fiyero this morning," she began.

"You saw Fifi?" she perked up, practically gaga at the mention of her boyfriend's name.

"Isn't that a little Dog's name?"

"It's my pet-name for Fiyero," Elphaba smiled in a slavish way that was so uncharacteristic of the _real_ Elphaba.

"Anyway," Galinda continued. "He said something about a date tonight at 8 at the Boar and Fennel pub."

"Oh, sweet Oz!" Galinda hissed.

"What?"

"We've been planning this date for six whole days!" she pouted.

"That's as long as you two have known each other," Galinda returned.

"I know," Elphaba said. "We arranged it after the dance at the Oz-Dust Ballroom. I really wanna go there, Elphie! I mean, it's Fiyero!"

"Please, Galinda, stop squealing or they'll throw us out," Galinda hissed. "Firstly, _you_ can't go to this date of yours."

"Why not?"

"Because you're me."

"_I'm_ me!"

"I meant you're in my body and I'm in your body. So, if you went, you would be going as _me_, as _Elphaba_."

"Drat!" Elphaba exclaimed. "I don't want to blow him off. I mean, we're so perfect for each other!"

"I know," Galinda sighed with exasperation. She spent quite some time pouring over pages in Galinda's pink and white notebook with little hearts with any combination of "FT + GU", "Mrs. Fiyero Tiggular" or "Fifi and Galinda Forever". As silly as it sounded, she felt that Galinda really _was_ obsessed with this ridiculous rich boy. What was that she had said the night after the Oz-Dust Ballroom? _Fiyero and I are going to be married!_ It sounded like a silly little girl's fantasy, but not the way that notebook portrayed it.

Suddenly, a light went on in the _real_ Elphaba's brain.

"Why don't I go in your stead?" she suggested.

"But you can't go!" Elphaba pouted. "You're you, not me."

"Only on the inside," Galinda replied. "But, on the outside, I look like you. Fiyero won't tell the difference." Elphaba made a sad noise as she threw herself face first into her note-book, lying on a pile of books. "It's either this or tell him you can't go."

_Why in Oz's name__ am I suggesting that _I_ go in her stead?_ Elphaba's analytical mind raged.

* * *

><p><strong>(AN: Fun fun! Lots of silliness, and a little suggestive topics for the T-rating. Although, that <em>did<em> occur to me: teenaged Elphaba, pre-Shiz, when she's growing up, would have endured some pretty hard times. After all, a lot of youngsters are morally bankrupt [or at least mean-spirited], and, being green-skinned, she wouldn't have had a pleasant time at all [remember that next time you think you've got it bad].)**

**(Look at me, getting interested in _Wicked_ again! Maybe there's hope for me yet. What about this story? Ideas? Suggestions? Concerns? Questions? Go ahead, for that is why we are here!)  
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	5. An Evening with Fiyero

**(AN: New chapter, though I'm still debating how long this story should go, as far as the musical time-line. Should it go into Act II or should a solution be found prior to leaving Shiz?)  
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**(As far as the technology of Oz, my official _Wicked_ fanon has the setting of Oz around the turn of the century. After all, _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_, the foundation for both the movie _The Wizard of Oz_ and, therefore, _Wicked_, was published in 1900, so I use that as the year during which the events of the second act of _Wicked_ take place. Depending on how much time you believe passed between Act I and Act II [Jenna Leigh Green said in _The Grimmerie_ that it was about two years, I use three in my fanon, and it is much longer in the book, since Elphaba is about 37 by the time she dies], you count backwards and there you have an Earth date [obviously Ozian dates are different, but still...]. So I make sure to use late 19th century technology in my _Wicked_ stories [_A Musician's Fan-Fiction_ the obvious exception], mostly that it seems more...'realistic'. By my _Wicked_ musical-verse fanon timeline, the events at Shiz and the Emerald City happen roughly between 1897 and 1898: with my usual statement that Elphaba is 22 at the time, that would put her musical-verse birthday October 30th, 1875. Just some interesting Ozian trivia for you.)  
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**(Now, on with the fun!)  
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* * *

><p><strong>An Evening with Fiyero<strong>

As soon as their day of classes were over, the body-swapped room-mates returned to their apartment. Galinda, actually Elphaba, slumped onto her drab, spartan bed to start her studying, when suddenly her room-mate, Galinda in Elphaba's greenified body, seized her and practically threw her into the bathroom.

"Galinda, what are you doing?" the blond asked.

"You have a date with Fiyero tonight," Elphaba said in a very uncharacteristic way. "So you go take your bath while I pick you out a wardrobe. Go on, now! Nobody likes a stinky witch!"

She pushed Galinda into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Inside was a large, bronze tub standing on feet carved like eagle's talons. While Elphaba was whistling away in the apartment, Galinda turned on a gas lamp on the window sill and began removing the clothing she was wearing. Once she was done, she looked down upon the body she was in: not out of particular attachment or self-absorption, but simply to look at something that wasn't green. A part of her wished she could be like this all the time, and have people look at her without fear or disgust. With a sigh, she turned on the water and let the tub fill up before she stepped inside.

Contrary to a certain rumor that had circulated during her youth in Munchkinland, she was not allergic to water. The Great Drought had made water in all of Munchkinland as priceless as the Quadling blood-rubies, or the Glikkun emeralds. Even the governor had to ration how much water was used in his household, and his unwanted green child usually was left out.

However, even without water, Elphaba managed to keep herself clean by rubbing oil on her skin. Of course, she rarely had much time to herself, so she learned to keep these very short, and so her time in the bath-tub was all too short for her desire. She emerged from the bathroom, clad in a bath-robe with her blond hair loose and wet about her shoulders. Suddenly, the green girl let out a gasp of shock.

"Oh, Elphie!" exclaimed.

"What?"

"Need I remind you that you're in _my_ body?" she continued.

"Please, stop shouting!"

"How can I? Look what you're doing to my hair!" Faster than Galinda could say "No, Galinda, no!", the green girl swept Galinda off to her vanity, where she took out a brush and comb and began attending to her room-mate's hair.

"La la, la de-da la," she hummed.

"Ow!" Galinda exclaimed. "Do you have to pull so hard?"

"Elphie, beauty is pain," Elphaba returned. "And you're going to be the most beautiful girl in all of Shiz."

"Kill me now," Galinda morosely sighed.

"That's no way to be popular, Elphie! Besides, this is fun!" She continued whistling and humming as she straightened out her room-mate's hair, which was actually her own.

"Elphie, you're a girl..."

"You're just now noticing?"

"That's not what I meant," she sighed. "I mean, haven't you ever done this before? That braid I untangled must have taken some work, so you must have done _something_ to your hair, at least _once!_"

"I do brush it from time to time," Galinda replied. "Mostly to keep the tangles out."

"From time to time!" exclaimed Elphaba. "Good Oz! You need to do this more often! But, I mean, you have a sister. Didn't she ever ask you to do her hair for her?"

"Sometimes," Galinda answered, her countenance falling slightly. "But once she could do it herself, she didn't want me to do it for her."

"Aww," pouted Elphaba in a manner the _real_ Elphaba never would have done. As she continued attacking the hair, Galinda saw, in the reflection of the mirror, her own face crinkling in sadness, or at least weary resignation.

"Look, if you don't want me to go," she said. "That's alright. We'll say something, like you got sick or something. Maybe you have Gilikin fever or Munchkin flu."

"Don't be silly, Elphie," the green girl replied. "Where would _I_ be getting Gilikin fever from? Only those who've _never_ been to Gilikin get it."

"Well, what do I know about getting sick?" Galinda stated. "I'm not a doctor."

"Now, now, no reason to get all snippy at me!"

"I'm sorry, Galinda," she sighed. "I mean, I'm feeling bad about this whole deception as well."

"Well, it's not my most favorite idea either," Galinda said. "But if I'm not with him all the time, he's going to get wind of something. I mean, if the prettiest girl in Shiz isn't seen with the most scandalacious Winkie prince, I mean, come on! People will talk!"

"Why should you care about what other people say?" Elphaba asked.

"Why do _you_?"

This ended the conversation in silence, as Elphaba was not willing to say why she actually cared what others thought and said, and neither was Galinda.

* * *

><p>The next several minutes were spent with Elphaba adjusting Galinda's make-up meticulously. Several times, the blond tried to swat off her green room-mate, but that only succeeded in splattering make-up all over Elphaba's green face.<p>

"It's so weirdifiable, Elphie," the green girl commented. "Putting make-up on you, it's like when I was little, and I used to put make-up on my reflection." Galinda sighed in an uncharacteristically grumpy fashion. "Oh, don't be such a spoiler, Elphie! I'm almost done."

"That's what you said ten minutes ago," Galinda droned.

"Yes, yes, but now I'm _actually_ almost done," she continued.

"Galinda, I really don't want to go through with this," the blond whined. "I feel like we're lying to him. I mean what if..." She was about to ask about the possibility of Fiyero seeing through this ploy, but then she remembered of whom she was speaking, and stopped herself before she broke into a fit of mocking laughter about the real Galinda's boyfriend.

"Well, look at it this way," Elphaba replied. "Go through tonight, or have him trying to dig something up and then our secret's blown."

Galinda scoffed. "Do you _actually_ think he's smart enough to try and dig something up about us?"

"Elphie!" she slapped the blond's shoulder. "Fifi always gets his way, and he will be nothing but suspicious if I...well, _you_, don't show up at our date."

"Fine," Galinda sighed in weary resignation.

"Besides, you live with me. How difficult can it be to pretend to _be_ me?"

_Easier than you think_, the real Elphaba pondered.

* * *

><p>8:15, a pretty blond Galinda Upland was standing out front of the Boar and Fennel pub, waiting for her date. Well, not <em>her<em> date, but the date that the real Galinda Upland had made before-hand, which she, Elphaba in Galinda's body, now had to endure. Of course, enduring whatever might happen would only be better if her date was actually present.

"Excuse me, miss?" a voice asked. Elphaba nearly jumped out of Galinda's skin when she heard someone actually speaking to her. Usually when people were addressing her directly, it was with harsh voices and orders, like her father. It was strange to be addressed like anybody else.

"Yes, may I hel..." As she turned around, she suddenly saw that audacious smile stretching across the Winkie prince's face.

"You're late!" she returned.

"What are you, the Time Dragon Clock?" he laughed.

"It's rude to be late, especially if it's for a date with a young woman!" she barked back.

"Oh, Galinda, it's always good to be fashionably late."

"You call fifteen minutes 'fashionably late?'"

"Oz, did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?"

"No," she huffed. "I'm just a..." She suddenly realized that she was acting out of character. Knowing her class attendance records, especially how Dr. Dillamond commented on her being early to class, she concluded that Galinda also liked being 'fashionably late'. They probably would have arrived at the same time as each other.

"Uh, nothing, Fiyero, my darling!" she replied, stretching her face in an accurate depiction of a Galinda smile. "I was just a little early, that's all. Think nothing of it!" She tried to giggle like Galinda, but ended up coughing.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "You're not coming down with anything, are you?"

"Huh? Oh, no, everything's perfect."

"Well, that's good." he smiled. "So, shall we?" He extended his hand out to her, and she found herself hesitant to take his hand. She knew that this was her idea, mostly because she knew that they didn't need prying eyes in on their little problem. She thought that if they kept a low profile, they would be able to find a remedy and be back to what they each called normal before anyone was any wiser.

But something was suddenly building up inside her, as she looked at Fiyero's hand. As much as she tried to hide it, as angry and short-tempered she appeared to the world - "passionate" to the point of being considered slightly, if not, by some parties, completely, insane - she, Elphaba Thropp, was still a woman, like any other. Her skin meant other people didn't consider her completely human, but that didn't make her any less human, or any less of a woman. Deep down inside of her, there was a part of her that wished and hoped that she could be loved in the same way that Nessa was loved by Father, or maybe more than that: of course, her logical, sensible mind usually told her the same thing over and over:

_Don't wish, don't start  
>Wishing only wounds the heart<em>

She had told herself that so many times that the little, innocent part of herself was almost gone. Yet something happened with this bizarre body-switching incident that had caused this part to come back to life. Maybe it was because people were looking at her without venomous glares, without snide comments, maybe it was because...

_No_, she told herself. _He's Galinda's boyfriend, I can't do that to her. Besides_, she looked him over. _He's a mess!_

"Are you coming?" Fiyero asked her.

"Huh? Oh, yes, of course."

Fiyero opened the door and they walked in together. Fiyero ordered drinks for the two of them, then took Galinda's arm and lead her to a secluded table. They began then to sip their drinks in silence. Galinda, or Elphaba that is, had regular herbal tea, while Fiyero spiked his with a bottle of whiskey he kept hidden in his uniform jacket.

"Never leave home without it," he said with his usual, self-confident smile.

"Just as long as you didn't put any in mine," Galinda stated. The thought of what might happen was unnerving to say the least. The only alcoholic beverages Elphaba had ever drank were wine at her father's house, but that was always in very small amounts and always the worst (the best was saved for her father and Nessarose). Also, she was not in her own body: Galinda was considerably smaller and she didn't know how much it would take to get her doing silly things. She didn't want to find out, especially if she knew that Fiyero had on his mind what she saw in his eyes.

It suddenly occurred to her what she had seen, and yet never experienced first-hand. She knew that, were she in her real body, Fiyero would not be staring at her like he was. Was that all Galinda meant to Fiyero, just a pretty face, or what she could give with her body? She felt physically revolted at this; it was as though she, or at least Galinda, in whose body she was now inhabiting, was no more to him than a piece of meat, to be devoured then thrown away when no longer needed.

_No, I can't blow this for Galinda_, Elphaba thought, looking away quickly. _Everything has to go smoothly._

"So," Fiyero stated. "You're awfully quiet tonight."

"Am I?"

"Yeah, is everything alright?"

"Good enough," she said. This was already getting awkward. She was starting to think up of all the names she could call him for the look she was getting from him. Her hands were fidgeting nervously, and she could feel sweat permeating from the center of her palms. She had to leave and quickly.

"Uh, listen, I really enjoyed this date, but I've got to go. I have...a big test to study for tomorrow."

"You, studying for a test?" he chuckled.

"Well, I mean, my room-mate is tutoring me, and she insists that I wake up early. So, uh, yeah, I enjoyed the date, can't wait to have another one."

"But you haven't even finished your tea!"

"You have it," she said. _I'm sure he won't mind drinking it with whiskey_, she thought, as she made her way to the door. As soon as she was outside, she breathed a sigh of relief, then made her way back to Crage Hall, eager to put this whole incident behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>(AN: Once again, the chapter that would never end! lol, but I've dead-ended a lot of my other stories [inspirationaly speaking, that is], so I thought, why not work on this one?)<strong>

**(Here's a challenge for you male fan-fiction authors [if I'm not the only one]: how do you accurately depict how a woman feels when she knows that she is being liked by a man for superficial reasons? Luckily, I had some experience to that degree [although, in my case, it was the other way around], but it was still quite a challenge. I know it probably sets up Fiyero to be kind of a douche, but here's the thing: Galinda is obsessed over him for superficial reasons as well. They're both in love with the _idea_ of each other, because once Fiyero starts getting more profound and thoughtful, Galinda isn't that attracted to him ["I don't even think he's perfect anymore, and I still want him."].)  
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**(I just had a crazy idea, and I hope you stick around long enough to see it carried through with this story)  
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	6. Cubnapper

**(AN: I guess you can understand what might happen in this chapter. It's part of the grand scheme that I've got planned for this story.)  
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* * *

><p><strong>Cubnapper<strong>

When Galinda, that is Elphaba in Galinda's body, returned to her dorm-room, she found Elphaba, the real Galinda in her body, sound asleep. She was quite relieved at this development: she really didn't want to go over the details of her "date" with Fiyero. She was tired and frustrated and worried about this transformation: what if it was permanent? What if she ended up being stuck as a tiny blond rich girl with her own brains and emotions, forced to live a false life as somebody else?

The next morning saw Elphaba Thropp still in Galinda Upland's body, and the demands of the scholastic day summoning both of them out of the confines of their dorm. Galinda woke up first and went to the bathroom, ready to do her usual morning hygienic routine, only to discover that she was not Elphaba. The previous day had not been a dream or a nightmare, as she had childishly hoped. With a wearied sigh, she prepared herself for the day. Her hair, of course, was something she had to get under control: unfortunately, she learned, the curls didn't come naturally. Furthermore, not being versed in hair care - growing up in Munchkinland, all she was allowed was a mirror, and whatever combs or brushes she could 'borrow' from Nessarose - she usually just tied her hair back, or spent long, painstaking hours tying into that braid which the real Galinda had unceremoniously undone that one night in their dorm.

In the end, she tied her hair back with a white hair-tie: it was the only one that was neither pink nor excessively froofy. She threw on a pair of clean clothes, then grabbed her notebook and made her way as fast as she could out of the door, not to be late for her first class. Then she remembered, from the looks people gave her when she arrived early at the real Galinda's classes yesterday, that the real Galinda was never this early. Perhaps she _could_ afford a few minutes of wait, even though her inner, habitual punctuality screamed in protest.

Thus it was that when she finally did leave for her classes, she was rather frazzled and a bit moodified as well. A whole day had passed, another was beginning, and she and the real Galinda Upland were no nearer a solution to this problem than when it had first befallen them. So it was no surprise that people were looking at her when she walked into Dr. Dillamond's history class. Quickly, she tried to think of something that Galinda would normally do to attempt to throw off their suspicions. Then it came into her head, what had happened that night in their dorm-room. She placed her hand behind her pony-tail and pushed it lightly, underscoring the movement with a high-pitched, nauseating sing-song voice:

"Toss toss!"

"There she is!" a voice said from behind. She turned about and saw that Fiyero was standing there, looking at her.

"What?" she returned.

"Nothing," he replied. "It's just, well, I thought something had happened to _that_ Galinda. Glad to see she's back."

Galinda did an imitation of the _real_ Galinda's high-pitched giggle: not perfect, but enough for Fiyero to believe it. Mere moments later, Dr. Dillamond entered the classroom, calling for the students to take their seats. He looked rather morose, walking with bent back rather than straight, as was his custom. Inside Galinda's body, Elphaba felt extremely sorrowful for the old Goat. She wanted to say something, to try to make him feel better, as he had done for her.

"Uh, Dr. Dillamond..." She stood up, hand raised.

"Oh, Miss Glinda," he said to her. "Although I am pleased to see that you're once again on time for my class, I am rather disappointed in your room-mate."

It was just then that Galinda realized that she was breaking typical Galinda etiquette again. Even worse, the _real_ Galinda in Elphaba's body, was nowhere to be found. She hadn't arrived on time for the class, and now, as she looked about, she saw that her green room-mate was nowhere to be found.

"My dear students," Dr. Dillamond said, turning to the rest of the class. "This is my day as teacher here. I'm afraid Animals are no longer permitted to teach."

Galinda, that is Elphaba within Galinda's body, wanted to say something. But she remembered that she wasn't exactly 'herself', and couldn't make a scene without bringing harm to Galinda. As much as she didn't care about her reputation or what other people thought of her - or so she told herself - she didn't want to bring harm to Galinda's reputation. So she kept quiet, feeling like a traitor all the while.

"I would like to thank all of you," Dr. Dillamond continued. "For sharing with me your enthusiasm, your essays and whatnot." She noted that a look of disappointment fell upon Dr. Dillamond's face as he seemingly waited for something.

A whistle was blown and the doors of the classroom opened. Madam Morrible entered, with two men in heavy, dull grey jackets, their faces obscured by the bowler hats they wore upon their heads. They converged on Dr. Dillamond without another word and took him by the arms, dragging him out quite unceremoniously.

"Don't believe a word they tell you!" Dr. Dillamond shouted as he was being dragged away. "You're not being told the whole story. Remember that! And then he was gone.

The whole of the classroom was silent, but in her seat, Galinda was shaking with supreme anger. She felt as though she had just betrayed Dr. Dillamond in this one moment. In her mind, she began to wonder if the _real_ Galinda ever felt such feelings of remorse, or maybe she had been raised so sheltered and detached from the problems of others, she never gave suffering or injustice a second thought.

She wasn't even paying attention when Madam Morrible introduced their new History teacher, one of the gray-suits who introduced himself as Dr. Nikadik. He pushed in something on wheels and began making a speech about "the silence of progress." Galinda paid little attention until she heard something about a Lion cub being captured at a young age being no longer able to speak.

She couldn't help herself. It was as though someone shut off her brain and all thoughts of consequences. She could feel that unwelcome feeling over-powering her, threatening to crush her body unless she let it out. She reached out at those gathered around the caged Lion cub, and they suddenly sprung back, flailing about madly.

"Whoa, what just happened?" a voice asked, both surprised and a little fearful.

Galinda turned about and saw Fiyero, unaffected by the spell, looking at her. Just then she knew that she had done something wrong, but it surprised her that she was even capable of doing _that_. For all she knew, being trapped in Galinda's body robbed her of that curse. It seemed, however, that was not the case.

"I don't know!" she whined, suddenly fearful herself. "I...I just got angry and then..." Those entranced by the spell lurched about, giving a loud cry of alarm.

"Alright, just don't move!" Fiyero stated. "A-And don't get mad at me. I'll get this." He took the cage that held the Lion cub off its cart and ran towards the door.

"You coming?"

* * *

><p><strong>(AN: Yes, you actually did just see what you thought you saw. Elphaba, in Galinda's body, at the fateful Lion cub scene.)<strong>

**(As far as why Elphaba was able to cast magic in Galinda's body, I would presume that the connection a person has to magic is not a physical link, but a spiritual one. Elphaba's "soul", if you will, is atuned to her inate magical abilities, which are not directly tied to whether or not she is in her usual body, which is why she can cast magic outside of Galinda's body.)**

**(Of course, you know what this means...Elphaba, that is Galinda in Elphaba's body, is going to be asked to see the Wizard, but won't be able to use magic in front of him. Just wait, the plot is thickening even as we speak!)**

**(PS - don't be afraid to review.)**


	7. An Awkward Situation

**(AN: I put _Witch's Soul_ on pause while I got to work on _Tira_, but I can continue this story and how it comes about and all, so don't worry :D)  
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* * *

><p><strong>An Awkward Situation<strong>

Teeny tiny Galinda was running out of the grounds of Shiz, with a bewildered Fiyero running after her, a cage with a Lion cub in his hands. To say that she, which is to say Elphaba within Galinda's body, was nervous would be quite the understatement. She had caused quite a stir, so much that it would surely be the talk of Shiz for days, if not weeks, to come.

_But I didn't know _that_ was still with me_, she mused to herself.

The two of them halted in a spot near the edge of a forest, surrounded by the hedges that marked the borders of the university. Both were well-winded from the ordeal and from running all the way to this spot. Fiyero placed the cage, covered by a heavy sheet, on the ground and turned to Galinda, who was panting heavily, hands firmly planted upon her knees. Her feet were bare, for half-way down the stair-well of the building where the History class met, she discarded them angrily against the wall.

"What?" she asked, noticing that he was staring.

"Nothing," he replied. "It's just, well, this is a side of you I've never seen before."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" she asked, trying to keep up the pretense that she was still Galinda Upland.

"You know," he began. "The whole...showing up for History Class on time. You're usually later than I am, if I ever show up. And the whole..." He waved his hands about as though he were weaving some kind of spell. "...and the Lion cub and everything."

"So what?" she replied, trying to stay in character. "You think I only care about myself? You think that just for one moment in all of my life, I can't care about someone or something other than myself?"

"No, I'm not saying that," Fiyero interjected. "I mean, you hate History! You're always telling me how boring that class is and how you get so upset over the teacher mispronounciating your name."

"Well..." Galinda sighed, unable to continue, to think of some credible lie with her head aching and her heart nigh to bursting. She always felt this way after her 'accidents.' "I mean, I don't know. Maybe I've grown up, maybe I decided to think about somebody else for a change? Is that so wrong?"

"Well, I don't know," Fiyero shrugged. "What's next, gonna start picketing every Animal that gets fired from their job?"

"_If_ any are left, that is!" Galinda retorted.

"Oz, you just have an answer for _everything_, don't you?!"

"So you'd rather I were stupid?"

"No, that's not what I..."

"That's how it is, isn't it? The only reason you like me is because I'm pretty, huh? What if I didn't have golden curls, pink skin and so much chest it hurts? I bet you wouldn't give me a second chance..."

"Why not giving me a _first_ chance?"

"First chance to what?"

"To talk! My Oz, do you ever let anyone else talk?"

"I'm sorry," she halted, catching her breath. Just what in Oz's name had she just done? She knew for certain that Galinda would never have said or done any of the things she had just said and done.

"Good, because I was starting to think I'd never get a word in edgewise." Fiyero sighed.

"Can I just say one more thing?" she asked, holding up one finger in protest. Once more, Fiyero sighed, this time in weary resignation. Galinda, that is Elphaba in Galinda's body, continued, her voice hesitant and her words heavy with some kind of feeling. "You could have walked away back there."

"Back where?"

"When _that_ happened," she said. "I mean, you weren't affected, you could have run, but you didn't."

"So?"

"So, no matter how shallow and self-absorbed you pretend to be, I think, deep down inside, you're actually different. You actually _do_ care."

"Excuse me?" he replied, sounding playfully offended. "In the first place, there's absolutely no pretense here. I happen to be _genuinely_ self-absorbed and _deeply_ shallow."

"That's not true," she said with a slight chuckle. "Or you wouldn't be so unhappy."

"Oh, and _you're_ the definition of happiness?"

"Maybe not," she replied. "I mean, maybe it takes one to know one, you know what I'm saying?"

"Whatever. Look, if you don't want my help..."

"No, wait! I do!" She let out without taking a breath, then lunged forward to keep him from going. She suddenly realized that she was holding Fiyero's hand. She felt short of breath and, had she a mirror, she would have become embarrassingly aware that her cheeks were flushing.

_This is so wrong!_ she thought to herself.

"Uh," she pulled her hand back quickly. "I think maybe we should get the cub to, uh...uh..."

"Safety, right?" Fiyero suggested.

"Yes, that's right."

"Oh, here, I'll do that," he leaned in and picked the cage up from off the ground, but Galinda suddenly put her hand on her shoulder.

"You're bleeding!"

"Am I?"

She reached up, for what reason she did not know. She didn't know anything about healing, and, from personal experience, knew that wounds shouldn't be poked and prodded. Yet she reached up towards it like a little girl, curious as to what would happen if she touched it.

"Yeah, the Lion cub must have scratched you."

"Yeah," Fiyero replied, as though he were in a trance. "Or...or maybe he scratched me or...something."

Just then, they heard somebody's voice some ways away. Instantly, Fiyero pulled away, picked up the cage with the Lion cub and ran off. Galinda turned to tell him that he was going the wrong way, only to see him running the opposite way with a ridiculous grin across his face.

"Galinda!" a voice angrily cried out. "Galinda! Oh, in Oz's name, where are you?"

She turned about and saw standing before her the last person she had expected. Dressed in a blue uniform skirt with a white blouse, her dark hair free and lying down on her shoulders, she looked angry even if she were not green. One hand was held behind her back, as though she were hiding something.

"What the heck have you been doing to me?!" she shouted at Galinda.

"Galinda, I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

"I wake up, get dressed, head outside and Madam Morrible is there! Imagine, seeing Madam Fishy-face first thing in the morning! She told me that Galinda was in trouble, that she had assaulted a teacher, disrupted class or something like that. And do you know what makes all of this worse?" She pulled out her left hand, in which was the thing she had been hiding.

"It's a letter from the Wizard, for _you!_"

* * *

><p><strong>(AN: Well, since you've all been such devoted reviewers, I thought I'd reward you with a chapter. This one is a retake on a favorite scene from <em>Wicked<em> the musical. My intention was to stick as close as possible to the essence of what happens in this scene, as well as work in what is different about our two heroines' bodies being switched.)  
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**(I also ad-libbed a few lines here and there. I know the dialogue of _Wicked_ so well I could probably recite it in my sleep, but what I wanted to do was figure out what they would have said had they not been disrupted.)  
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**(I hope to update soon, because I just had an explosion of inspiration and I know exactly what I'm gonna do with this story.)  
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	8. Farewell to Shiz

**(AN: Well, every four hours, I can work on this story during the accursed day of the Sun [today], because the library isn't open and my charger takes four hours to fully charge my battery. So this is going to take a while, but I've got somewhere where I'm going with this story, and I've decided to make it span both acts.)  
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* * *

><p><strong>Farewell to Shiz<br>**

"A letter?" Galinda asked.

"Did I stutter?" Elphaba replied. "Here, read it!"

The little blond took the letter from out of Elphaba's hand and examined it for a moment. It was addressed _To Elphaba Thropp, c/o Madam Morrible, Crage Hall, Shiz University, Shiz-town, Lower Gilikin. _She unwrapped it and with trembling hands began to read to herself the contents of the letter.

_To Elphaba Thropp._

_Greetings and salutations from the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I have received Madam Morrible's letter regarding your unique talents and would like to meet you in person. Enclosed in this letter is a train ticket, which you can use to board the Great Gilikin Railway and find your way to the Emerald City. Present this letter to the Guard at the Gates of the Emerald Palace. I cannot begin to express how eager I am to meet you.  
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_The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_

Her heart skipped a beat. This was it, what she had been waiting for since...well, since birth. She had finally a chance to meet _the_ Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. If all the stories she had heard about him were true, and if he was as wonderful as his namesake, then he could solve all of Oz's problems, starting with the unfortunate condition with herself and Galinda, then the Animals and then, finally...

"This is for real!" she gasped.

"You bet your sweet patootie it is!" Elphaba replied. "There's only one problem."

"What?"

"Oh, come on, we know why the Wizard wanted to see you!" Elphaba sighed. "Madam Morrible pretty much ignored you until you had that...that _accident_ at orientation. _That's_ why she pushed to have you in Sorcery class, that's why she said she'd write to the Wizard."

"So?"

"So! I'm not you, Elphie! I can't do magic!"

"Then I'll go instead."

"But you're me! The letter is addressed to _Elphaba Thropp!_ The Wizard will be wanting to see _you_, not me."

"So what do we do?"

"_We?_" Elphaba asked. "Ex-squeeze me, first things first, _you're_ going to Madam Morrible's office."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You attacked a teacher and disrupted class. She told me to find you and tell you to go there immediately."

"I might as well go, then."

"Elphaba, I know you don't care what happens to you, but, for Oz's sake, you're in _my_ body! Can you at least _tr_y to act like me?"

"I..." Galinda sighed. "I know. I should have been more careful. Come on, let's go to Morrible's office."

"Did anything else happen that I should know about?"

Galinda cast her eyes back to the clearing, where she had come uncomfortably close to Fiyero. She had felt something when she was that close, in the silence of the grove, when her hand touched his and their eyes met. It felt like she had stolen away from this dreary, gray world behind for one where everything that might have been _was_ truth. But she was back on Oz, feet planted firmly on the ground. She knew that this could never be hers, it was only because she was inside Galinda's body that she had this chance.

_Don't wish_, she thought to herself. _Don't start...wishing only wounds the heart._

"Elphie?"

"Oh? Uh, nothing." They left that grove, and all of the secrets of it buried deep within the boughs of the trees.

* * *

><p>Neither Elphaba nor Galinda visited Madam Morrible's office on a regular basis. Nessarose, who stayed with her, rarely asked for help from Galinda and rarely ever acknowledged any relation to Elphaba. As such, they never had cause to visit her office: even her Sorcery classes were held in a separate classroom. Today, however, they would both go before Madam Morrible; one to answer for her actions, and another to make sure that she had done as she had been ordered to do.<p>

When the door opened, they found themselves in a room that looked like something out of time. It was ancient, the remnants of a time when Oz was ruled by the Ozmas: austere and noble. Seated on a large red chair with a high back was Madam Morrible, placing a tea cup on a platter held by a tick-tock mechanism.

"Thank you, Grommetik," she said, dismissing the short, stout mechanical thing, then turned to the two newcomers.

"Here she is, Madam," Elphaba said.

"Thank you, Miss Elphaba, that will be all." Madam Morrible nodded. "Please step outside for a moment."

"Uh, yes Madam." Elphaba nodded, then slowly backed her way out of the office, closing the door behind her. Galinda, meanwhile, was left with the icy stare of Madam Morrible, glaring at her from the top of her spectacles.

"Now then, Miss Upland," she began. "I know that you come from a wealthy Gilikinese family, and that you came to this institution with absolutely no grasp on what it takes to be a student at Shiz University. However, there is absolutely no way the events of this morning will be tolerated!"

"But they were hurting a poor little Lion cub!" she exclaimed.

"Silence!" Madam Morrible stated crisply. "Now your actions, no matter what motivated them, were completely misguided. Consider this your first and only warning: if I learn that you've created another distuberance, I will not hesitate in expelling you, no matter who your parents might be!" She looked down at the papers at her desk and began going through them as though she were alone. Galinda cleared her throat.

"Oh, you are excused." Madam Morrible said, without taking her eyes off of her desk.

Galinda left without saying another word, closing the door behind her as she left. Standing there, waiting for her, was Elphaba, looking extremely nervous.

"So what's the deal, Elphie?" Elphaba asked.

"I'm okay..."

"Well, you're gonna have to keep your head down from hereon in." she said. "Until we've fixed this out, I don't want you doing anything else that will damage my reputation."

"Oh, you and your reputation."

"Well, _you_ have quite a reputation as well, one I don't want rubbing off on me. I mean, after all, you're me and I'm you. I've tried to keep myself down and not do anything ridiculous. Maybe you should do the same."

"Is that what you want me to do while you're in the Emerald City?"

"The Emerald City?"

"Yes, Galinda," Galinda replied. "You're going in my place, remember? The Wizard asked for _you_, right? So what are _you_ going to be doing in the Emerald City while I'm keeping my nose down here at Shiz? And don't forget why the Wizard wanted to see me!" She pointed at the green-skinned girl to drive her point home.

"Well?"

"You're right, Elphie," she sighed. "And if it's all the same to you, I would like you to come with me."

"What?"

"Yes. Come with me to the Emerald City."

"Why?"

"Because you're, well, you're actually Elphie, even if you're in my body," she began. "You might be able to help me with, well, whatever the Wizard wants of you...I mean, me."

"Okay," Galinda nodded. "I'll go with you."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Elphie!" Elphaba squealed in a very uncharacteristic way. She threw her arms around the tiny form of Galinda, embracing her with such fervor that she picked her up off the ground.

"Oh, sweet Oz!" she breathed, after letting go of the tiny blond. "We have so much planning to do! We have to go shopping, we need an extra ticket for yourself!"

And so the two of them went back to their apartment, eager to be on their way to the Emerald City.

* * *

><p>"All aboard!" came the call from the distant conductor.<p>

At the train station at Shiz, many people were gathered here to embark on their chosen voyages and to bid their friends and family farewell on their respective voyages as well. On the tenth platform, four students had gathered for their own farewells. Boq and wheelchair-bound Nessarose Thropp were saying farewell to Galinda Upland and Elphaba Thropp, completely unaware that the persons they knew as Elphaba and Galinda were in fact in each other's bodies.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"You don't need to worry about me, Galinda," Nessa said. "In fact, I don't really know why you should be going with her. Elphaba's big enough to handle this situation on her own."

"Yeah," Boq spoke up. "She can handle the Emerald City on her own. Why don't you stay here with m...with us?" He quickly corrected himself when he saw Nessarose look his way. Galinda looked at Elphaba, who gave her a furtive glance, then turned back to Boq and Nessarose.

"Well, you know me," Galinda stated a little over-emphatically. "Can't resist a good shopping spree, and that's what the Emerald City has to offer, yes siree."

"And as for you," Nessarose said, turning to Elphaba. "I'd just like to say that I'm so happy for you, and I know father will be happy as well."

"Uh...thanks."

"That's all you have to say?" Nessa asked. "After you've spent your whole life talking about wanting to meet the Wizard, I tell you that I'm happy for you and all you say is 'thanks?'"

"Uh, she's just a little overwhelmed," Galinda cut in. "I mean, I know how _I_ would feel if I was going to meet the Wizard. I'd be pretty amazed as well."

"It's alright, Galinda. You don't have to defend her."

"But you do, Boq, alright?"

Everyone turned to Galinda, and she who was inside her knew she had misspoken again. The real Galinda Upland never called Boq by his real name. It even caught him off-guard, to where his expression softened somewhat from his current state of annoyance.

"I do what?"

"You'll have to take care of Nessarose, right?" Galinda asked. "I mean, Elphaba's going to be gone, so she'll need someone to look after her."

"I'm a grown woman, Galinda. I can look after myself."

"How about it?"

"Gee, I don't know," he said, scratching the back of his neck in his usual absent-minded fashion. "I've already done so much, I don't think I can take this anymore."

"Boq, please, do this...for me."

He sighed heavily, resigning himself for something against which he didn't particularly enjoy.

"Alright," he sighed. "But this is the last time, understand? Excuse me, I need to be alone for a moment."

"Boq, wait!" Nessarose called out as Boq started leaving.

"Wait, Nessa," Elphaba stated. "I can tell you're upset, but maybe it's not really your fault? Maybe he's just not the right one?"

"And what would _you_ know about love?" Nessarose shot back angrily. She then turned to Galinda, realizing that she was staring directly at her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. You two have a safe journey."

Without another word, Nessarose pushed herself away sorrowfully from platform ten, leaving Elphaba and Galinda standing there as other passengers made their way onto the train.

"I can't believe it," Elphaba sighed. "I never thought Nessarose could be so mean. I always thought she was such a nice girl: tragically beautiful and everything, but genuinely nice."

"She's my father's favorite," pouted Galinda. "And he hates me and blames me for Nessarose being crippled, and he's told her that since...since..." She bit her tongue, forcing herself to hold back the tears as she placed her hand over her face.

"Oh, Elphie," Elphaba added empathetically. "Remember what I said all those weeks ago? It's not your fault, it was the milk flowers."

"But I had to live with a crippled sister who hates me!"

"Correction, she hated _me_," Elphaba said, placing her arm sympathetically around Galinda's shoulders. "See, maybe this is the opportunity for you to have fun for once, maybe, just for today, you can be whoever you'd like...within reason, of course."

Galinda stifled a laugh. "You know, I was thinking about what you said yesterday."

"About?"

"About what you said, about taking care of what happens while we're in each other's bodies. And I was thinking, perhaps, just for this little voyage, I should take on a traveling name."

"A traveling name?"

"Yes! Lots of people do it to protect their identities while they're on the road. Therefore, during our stay at the wonderful capital of Oz, I shall be known as simply Glinda."

"'Glinda?'" Elphaba exclaimed incredulously. "But that's what Dr. Dillamond said when he'd intentionally mispronounciate my name!"

"Hey, that's not fair! Speaking of intentional mispronunciation, what is it with you and Boq?"

"With who?"

"Boq, the little Munchkin-boy who's been following me, or you, or whatever, practically everywhere?"

"Him? Oh, it's nothing. I didn't encourage his advances, he'll get over himself."

"But he's not. He's got your, or my, schedule down by heart, he follows me after each class."

"He obviously gravitates towards beauty."

"But it's getting creepy! Besides, why can't you pronounciate _his_ name correctly?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"So the stares I get whenever I call him Boq are unwarranted?"

"Are you feeling alright, Elphie?"

"Ugh! You are an impossible little person!"

Just then, Elphaba gave a very uncharacteristic squeal of delight as she saw someone looking about the train station for someone.

"Oh, it's Fiyero!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down, waving her hand about. "Fiyero! Over here, dearest!"

"Wait!" Galinda said, putting her hands on Elphaba's shoulders. "First of all, you're not doing that in my body."

"_Your_ body?"

"Or have you forgotten? When he sees you, he sees _me_, not you."

"Oh, alright. Then _you_ do it."

Galinda turned about, sighing furiously, then raised her little hand, attempting to reach over the crowds. Fortunately, there was a bench nearby that was unoccupied, and she, very carefully because of those accursed heels she was wearing, climbed atop the bench and began waving furiously.

"Fiyero!" she sang out, in her very best imitation of the real Galinda.

Finally spotting her, Fiyero made his way through the crowd, lifted Galinda off the bench, spun her about, then gave her a kiss on the mouth. Once she was let go, she was pretty much speechless. For the first time, Elphaba - that is, the _real_ Elphaba Thropp, the one inside Galinda Upland's body - was feeling the same feelings she had felt that day with the Lion cub.

Elphaba, on the other hand, was not pleased at what she saw.

"I heard you're going with her," Fiyero said to Galinda. "And I wanted to see you before you left. Are you sure you have to go?"

"Yes, we're _both_ sure that Galinda needs to come with me," Elphaba interjected, stepping between Galinda and Fiyero. "It's important, it's pretty much vital, isn't it?" Her last words sounded strained as she spoke out of the side of her mouth at wee Galinda behind her.

"Elphaba, right?" Fiyero said, indicating to her.

"Yes," she said, flashing him her prettiest smile.

"You look nice when you smile," Fiyero said. "You should smile more often, maybe people wouldn't be creeped out by..." He waved his hands across an invisible figure that was supposed to be a body. "...everything else."

"Fiyero!" Galinda exclaimed.

"What?" Fiyero returned. "You yourself said that she needs to change some of her mannerisms."

"I did?"

"Uh, yeah," Fiyero said slowly, a bit unsure of himself or of the little blond standing before him. "Uh, good luck, to both of you. Galinda, I'll be waiting for you when you get back." Without another word, he ran from the spot as fast as he could.

"And what, may I ask, was that?" Elphaba asked suspiciously.

"'Maybe this is the opportunity for you to have fun for once,'" Galinda mimicked in. "'Maybe, just for today, you can be whoever you'd like.'"

"I was talking about _you_, not me!" she sighed.

"Last call!" the conductor cried out. "All aboard for the Emerald City!"

"Come on, we're gonna miss our train." Galinda said.

* * *

><p><strong>(AN: Not much else I could squeeze into this chapter, but then again, hectic school schedule is taking a toll on my writing. All my stories are suffering, not just this one. So please, bear with me if updates aren't immediately one after the other.)<strong>

**(Lots of interesting/funny stuff in this chapter, as well as set-ups for the second act portion. Don't hate on Nessarose, please. I don't try to depict her as mean, but she comes off as such because, perhaps, she blames Elphaba for "causing" her crippled state [being her father's favorite and all, I'm sure he would have told her that dozens of times], and then in Act II, resents her even more for not using her powers to help her.)  
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	9. One Short Day

**(AN: Finally an update! Well, college has been hectic and I had no desire to write in anything else, so I thought I'd update this story.)  
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><p><strong>One Short Day<strong>

"Attention, passengers," the conductor spoke up as he entered the train-car where Elphaba and Galinda sat. He was walking through the aisles of seats, followed closely by two men clad in green. These had big black bags, from which they produced green-shaded glasses which they were giving out to the passengers.

"In just a few moments," the conductor continued, walking down the aisles. "We will arrive in the Emerald City. By order of His Excellence, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, all visitors and migrants to the Emerald City must wear these emerald-shaded glasses for their own protection."

Galinda and Elphaba both grabbed a pair of the emerald-shaded spectacles as the green-clad men passed by their row. Elphaba, that is Galinda in Elphaba's body, placed them on her face first, then turned to Galinda, the _real_ Elphaba.

"I bet I look like you did with those glasses," she said with a smile.

"Don't talk to me," Galinda sulked.

"Oh, come on, Elphie!" the green-skinned girl said uncharacteristically. "We're gonna have a lot of fun when we get here!"

"You mean _you'll_ have fun."

"After all, Elphie," sang Elphaba. "If the Wizard is as wonderful as they say he is, he might be able to find a way to fix what happened between us."

"Hmm," mused Galinda. "I hadn't thought about that." Suddenly, she gave a smile and a bit of laughter escaped from her lips.

"What?"

"I never thought _you'd_ have thought of that," Galinda replied.

"I'm not as stupid as Madam Morrible thinks," Elphaba stated. "I think you've really helped me to think, Elphie. Thank you."

Galinda did not reply. Deep down inside, the mind of Elphaba wondered how she was supposed to register that statement. Was it a compliment, and if so, was it really that appropriate? People normally thought, and though she thought that Galinda didn't really think, she knew that she was fully capable of such.

She did not have much time to ponder such thoughts, for the squeal of train wheels grinding to a halt could be heard just outside the car. At her side, Elphaba was practically giddy with the excitement of visiting the capitol of greater Oz. Then again, she herself could barely contain the excitement within her own breast.

She was actually coming _here_, to the Emerald City!

* * *

><p>Wonderful. That was the only word they could find to describe the splendor of the City of Emeralds. The buildings were so tall, they had to crane their necks just to see the tops. There was a little bit of something for everyone here: the City Centre itself, into which the Emerald City train Station had deposited them, housed some of the largest libraries in Oz, not to mention several museums whose artifacts made Galinda yearn that they had been here longer. Also, the fabled beauty of the Emerald Palace and all of the shopping malls, salons and beauty shops in the Royal Mall district made Elphaba's mouth water.<p>

"Oh, there's so much here!" Elphaba squealed, as they paced about a broad square, looking at all of the wonders about them. "Where should we go first?"

"I think we should go to the Emerald Palace first," stated Galinda.

"Already?" Elphaba asked, pouting very uncharacteristically.

"To tell them we're here," Galinda sighed. "It should be a while before we're allowed an audience, there will be plenty of time for sight-seeing, don't worry."

It was not but several blocks north-east from the train station and then to the right until they found themselves at the highest, largest and grandest building of the City of Emeralds: the Emerald Palace. Many tall towers poked their heads above the city heights, tall as the fabled trees of Quox beyond the Impassable Sands, and many domed structures, squat and richly adorned (though all in green) clustered about a great structure, wide and tall, with a round dome for a roof.

As they walked towards the gates of the palace, they were greeted by a short, squat man in a green uniform with a furry green hat and a pair of whiskers so bright orange that even behind their emerald-shaded glasses, they could tell that it was orange.

"Pardon me, ladies," the man said, rather flustered. "But I'm afraid you cannot enter here. The Wizard is a very important man and he does not permit visitors."

"But we've been summoned here!" Elphaba pouted.

"Is that so?"

"The letter," muttered Galinda, nudging Elphaba's shoulder. She looked back, mouthing at Galinda "What?", then the little blond pointed at the book bag that she had insisted Elphaba carry. Inside, in its emerald envelope, was the letter.

"Give it to him." she whispered.

"Uh, here is a letter of summons from the Wizard himself," Elphaba said hesitantly, as she gave the letter to the guard. As soon as he saw the signature of the Wizard, he jumped so nervously that it seemed his glasses would topple off of his nose.

"Well, well well!" he exclaimed. "Well, this makes...this makes quite a lot of difference! I'll take this to the Wizard at once!" He ran off towards the doors, then scurried back.

"Uh, this will definitely take a while," he said. "You know, the Wonderful Oz has so many things to do, you know, running Oz and everything. Maybe an hour or three: in the meantime, do enjoy your stay in the Emerald City." With a nervous smile and a bow, the guard with the orange whiskers disappeared into the doors of the Palace.

"Well, Elphie," Elphaba asked. "What now?"

"We obviously have the time, now."

"Then let's wander about the city and enjoy what there is to see!" she exclaimed, offering the short blond her arm. With careless abandon, Galinda wrapped her arm around Elphaba's arm and they took off into the city.

* * *

><p>Whatever they had imagined about the splendorous wonders of the Emerald City were nothing compared to the real thing. The libraries had so many books on practically every subject. The museums held artifacts from as long ago as medieval Oz, before the construction of Ozma Town, the marble city that had become magically 'greenified' by the powers of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Elphaba got herself a make-over, despite furious protestations from Galinda.<p>

Just as they were making their way towards a long line of shopping malls, much to Galinda's dismay - she, that is the real her, had very little money, and she feared that her roommate within her body would use it up without even a thought to her own money - a lad on a bicycle with a tall front wheel came spinning past them. When he left, Galinda held two green tickets in her hands.

"'Wizomania?'" she asked, reading what was printed on the ticket. "'See the spectacle.'"

Suddenly, Elphaba gasped, slowly turning about with a look of sheer amazement on her face, which didn't look a bit out of place through the emerald-shaded glasses.

"Ohmyoz, ohmyoz, ohmy**OZ!**" she squealed in gleeful exclamation. "That is the bestest in Ozville theater! That's like what _everybody_ comes to see when they visit the Emerald City!" She ran over to Galinda, hands shaking about in excitement as she swept up one of the tickets in her long, clever green fingers.

"Oh, sweet Oz! It starts in ten minutes!" She looked this way and that, trying to find a sign that would direct her to the nearest theater. "Come on, Elphie! We can't be late!"

With one emerald hand upon Galinda's tiny wrist, Elphaba dragged her through the streets of the City of Emeralds to the opera house. What the "spectacle" ended up being was a very brief Ozville musical praising the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The performers were not human, but Hammerheads, dressed in human clothes that were over-large for a normal human but large enough for their tall, fat and armless bodies. Though Elphaba, that is Galinda in Elphaba's body, called them Flatheads, Galinda, the _real_ Elphaba, knew that they were Hammerheads from Quadling. For one, they had no arms and their necks were long and stretchable. She noted the strange, glaring look in their unblinking eyes and wondered how Hammerheads, who were usually wild and territorial, were able to be tamed and trained for Ozville theater. Elphaba, meanwhile, was squirming gleefully in her seat.

Once the show was done, they made their way back to the Emerald Palace, eager to be on time for their appointment. All the way, meanwhile, Galinda was arguing with Elphaba about what they had just seen.

"I think it's barbaric," Galinda said.

"Why?" Elphaba exclaimed. "It's fun and cute! Those Flatheads are so silly!"

"They're Hammerheads, Galinda," sighed Galinda. "They're not native to this part of Oz. They're from the lands of the South, where the Quadlings dwell. It's said they're savage, territorial and wild. How could they have trained them for this performance?"

"Why are you making such a fuss?" queried Elphaba.

"And what about the words? It's nonsense! All just praising the Wizard. I mean, yes, he _is_ Wonderful, but there should at least be allowance for some kind of argument."

"Huh?"

"Oh, never mind. It was a silly thought."

Even as they were approaching the steps, there appeared the form of the red-bearded gate guard who ran towards them, looking rather flustered.

"He agrees!" he exclaimed. "Oh, this is quite irregular. He's never seen anyone in so long. He usually just sends people away, but it seems as though you've been expected."

"'He?'" asked Galinda. "Who wants us?"

"Oh, you're just in time!" exclaimed the guard. "The Wizard will see you now!"

* * *

><p><strong>(AN: Sorry for how long it took to update this, bogged down with school and such, blah blah blah. No one really cares as long as I get a new chapter.)<strong>

**(Here's a few lol-moments in this chapter. However, I had to explain the difference here from what most people say. In "One Short Day", there is the bridge sung by those creepy, thick-necked Hammerheads [NOT Flatheads]. The Flatheads are a wholly different race of people from _Glinda of Oz_, who are [assumed] human-shape, but they have flat-heads and carry their brains in a can. The Hammerheads, featured in _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_, are fat, armless, big-headed with flat-tops and thick, extendable necks: exactly like those from _Wicked._)  
><strong>

**(Of course, "Ozville" is a neologism, based on the combination of "Oz" and "vaudeville", just for the lols. Hopefully a new chapter will come soon, and you'll get to see something very surprising happen.)  
><strong>


	10. Revelations

**(AN: Update update! Something really interesting happens here, so don't miss a word of it!)  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Revelations<strong>

Two young women made their way down a long corridor of emerald green, leading them deep into the bowels of the Emerald Palace. Elphaba and Galinda, despite their swapped bodies, were both eager to meet the Wizard, who waited them at the end of the hall. All their dreams were about to come true, everything they had ever wanted would be fulfilled. They marched forward with confidence, despite the cold, heartlessness of the long, empty green hallway.

Before them, at the far end of the tunnel-like hallway, the door was open, but there was no light beyond to illuminate the Throne Room. They walked through the doors, their eyes straining to pierce the seemingly endless darkness.

Suddenly, blinding lights flashed and the room was suddenly illuminated. The sound of metal grinding upon metal jarred their ears, along with the roar of steam blasting up and out from the source of the lights. In the center of the room was a throne, surrounded by a thousand bright lights. Floating upon that throne was a giant head, whose eyes glared at them.

"_**I am Oz, the Great and**** Terrible!**_" the head roared, its voice booming so loud, their hearts beat to the booming of its voice. "**_Who are you and why do you seek me?_**"

The two young women cowered at the far end of the hall, just outside the door. In a surprising twist, the tall, green-skinned woman was cowering behind the shorter, blond one.

"Elphie, do something!" whined the green-skinned girl from behind her blond room-mate.

"Me?" hissed Galinda. "_You're_ in my body, you say something."

"Why me?" she whined. "Why does it always have to be me?"

"Oh, for Oz's sake!" sighed Galinda. "Just go out there and tell him who you are!" She pushed the taller girl out towards the giant head.

"Uh..." stammered Elphaba. "I am...uh...Elphaba..." She looked back and hissed at Galinda. "What's your last name?"

"Thropp."

"Thropp!" she turned back to the head, holding her hands up before her face. "I'm Elphaba Thropp!"

"Oh!" a small, nasal and uncharacteristic voice called out from behind the head. "Is that you, Elphaba? I didn't recognize you at first. Just a moment!"

The giant head creaked and then came to rest upon the throne, the lights stopped blinking, and out from behind the giant throne appeared an old man, barely any taller than Galinda, with a pair of goggles over his eyes.

"I hope I didn't startle you," the old man said, removing his goggles. "It's so hard to make out peoples' faces when I'm back there." He then removed the gloves from off his hands and placed a pair of spectacles on his face.

"Now, let's see..." he said, attempting to scrutinize the two young women. "Which is which?"

"I'm Elphaba, I'm Elphaba, I'm right here!" exclaimed Elphaba, waving her hand high up in the air.

"Oh, well, a pleasure to meet you!" he replied, holding his hand out to shake hers. He then turned to the other young woman, who was looking at the throne in awe.

"It's a bit much, isn't it?" he said. "But, people expect this kind of thing, and you've got to give people what they want. And who might you be, young lady?"

"Glinda," she replied, very reservedly. "Uh, listen, Your...uh, Terrible-ness..."

"Oh, please, Your Ozness will do," the old man replied.

"There's something I need to tell you first," said Galinda. "Uh, something happened and we're not who we say we are."

"We're not?" exclaimed Elphaba.

"No!" Galinda hissed at the green-skinned girl who was the _real_ Galinda, then turned back to the old man, whom she assumed was the Wizard. "We're both uh...I'm not sure how to say this. I guess the best way is to just say it." She swallowed hard, then continued.

"Something happened and...uh...well, the truth is, _I'm_ actually Elphaba. That is Ga...Glinda." She pointed at the green-skinned woman.

"Ga-Glinda?" the Wizard asked, turning to the tall, emerald-skinned woman.

"The ga is silent," she pointed out.

"Well, this is highly irregular," the Wizard mused. "Most irregular indeed." He sighed. "I guess there's only one thing we can do."

"What's that, Your Ozness?" Galinda asked.

"You must prove yourself," the Wizard said.

"Prove myself?" both Elphaba and Galinda replied.

"Yes!" the Wizard exclaimed. "Madam Morrible's letter said that Elphaba Thropp is skilled in magic, so..." He waved his hands about, as though he were conjuring a spell. "Whichever one of you can do magic, we'll know that one is the proper Elphaba."

"But what about our..."

"All in good time, ladies, all in good time," he dismissed, then turned into the darkness, cupped one hand over his mouth and called out: "Madam, the book!"

From out of the darkness appeared Madam Morrible, an ancient tome in her hands and a look of importance on her face.

"I believe you already know my new Press Secretary," the Wizard introduced. Both of the young girls were a gale with awe. Madam Morrible said something about having 'risen up' in the world and applauded the Wizard on how much he would 'do' for you if you did even a little bit for him.

"So what do you want us to do?" Galinda asked.

At this, the Wizard blew a whistle from out of his coat pocket and out sprang a monkey, dressed in clothes. He was a little less than man-height, but he seemed quite energetic and playful. Elphaba took a step back while Galinda knelt down and scratched the tuft of hair under the monkey's chin. Madam Morrible whispered something to the Wizard, who nodded, then turned back to the two young women.

"This is my monkey servant Chistery," he said, gesturing to the monkey, who was now standing on his hands and knees in one place, as if waiting for instructions. "Every day he watches the birds, longing to be with them."

"Therefore, His Ozness was considering a simple...levitation spell!" Madam Morrible approached, holding out a heavy tome which both of the young women eyed with awe.

"It's quite simple enough," she continued. "Which ever one of you can cast the spell is the true Elphaba. Go on, now."

"Both of us?" both Elphaba and Galinda asked in unison.

"Why not?" Madam Morrible replied in a sickly-sweet tone. Galinda took the book in her hands, while Elphaba bounced about at Galinda's side, breathing: "Lemmetouchit, lemmetouchit, lemmetouchit!"

Galinda put the book on the ground and began pawing through the pages, while Elphaba was hovering over it, green hands gingerly touching the pages.

"Oh my Oz!" she squealed. "I'm actually touching the Grimmerie. _The_ Grimmerie!"

While Elphaba was oozing over the spell-book, Galinda cast an eye up to the Wizard, who was whispering with Madam Morrible. She caught the phrase "Don't think we needed Upland", "sure", "real" and some phrase she had never heard. For a moment she turned the phrase over and over in her mind, wondering if "La Mombey" was a proper name, a title or a location.

"Well, go on, then!" exclaimed Madam Morrible, when she saw that the two young women were not reading from the spell. "Off you go."

"But I can't read the words!" Elphaba exclaimed.

"Don't be discouraged if you can't decipherate it right away," the Wizard's press secretary replied. "I myself have spent years studying that book and can only read a spell or two..."

_Ahben Tahkay_ the tiny, high-pitched voice of Galinda began to chant. _Ahben Tahkay Ahben Atum Ahben Takayah Entayah Ah Entayah Tifentah Ahben Tahkay Ah..._

Suddenly, two people shouted. Elphaba, who hadn't spoken a word, gave a cry of alarm and Chistery, the monkey, started screaming in pain. Immediately, the little blond turned away from the book and tried to address the monkey, who was frollicking about, reaching up at something painful on his back.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"No, it's nothing!" exclaimed Madam Morrible over the clamor. "Just part of the transition, that's all." She then started speaking with the Wizard, but she was focused on the monkey.

"Chistery, what's wrong?" she asked the monkey. All she got back was a squawk of pain. "Why can't he speak?"

Suddenly, two huge blue wings burst from the monkey's back. Both the Wizard and Madam Morrible exclaimed in surprise and amazement. Both the young women looked back in surprise.

"She did it!" Madam Morrible said, pointing to Glinda. "I heard her voice chanting, her voice alone."

"Glorious!" exclaimed the Wizard.

"No, he's in pain!" squealed Glinda. "Quick! How do I reverse the spell?"

"You can't!" replied Madam Morrible. "You can't reverse a spell once it's been cast!" She turned back to the Wizard. "It doesn't matter if she's not in her true form, she's done it! Just as I said she would!"

"Wait, you knew? You planned this?"

"Of course, dearie! But don't worry, you'll benefit as well."

"And this," the Wizard exclaimed. "Is just the beginning!"

The grinding of wheels was heard and a curtain fell back upon a giant cage, an aviary hidden at the back of the Throne Room. Within were a hundred or so monkeys, all of them screaming in fear, in horror, in pain, all of them with huge blue wings sprouting from their backs. But even as the curtain was being drawn back over the cage, Glinda, that is Elphaba, was in shock.

"If this is what you can accomplish on the first time, why, the sky's the limit!" exclaimed the Wizard.

"Such wingspan!" added Madam Morrible. "What excellent spies they will make!"

"Spies?" Glinda retorted.

"You're right," the Wizard mediated, sensing Glinda's concern. "That's a harsh word. How about 'scouts?' I mean, that's what they'll be, actually. They'll just fly around Oz and report on any, uh, subversive...Animal activity."

Glinda gasped in even greater shock, rising up from her knees awkwardly (why did Elphaba, that is the _real_ Galinda, force me to wear heels?), with an accusing finger pointed in the direction of the Wizard.

"It's you!" she said. "You're the one, you're behind all these horrible things that have been happening to the Animals."

"Gl...I mean, Elphaba," the Wizard said. "Please, try to understand: when I came here, there was nothing but chaos and disorder. And where I'm from, the best way to bring folks together is to give them a really good enemy."

Glinda suddenly lurched down and picked up the Grimmerie, clutching it to her chest, which, as she learned, was not as flat as that with which she was accustomed.

"You can't read this book at all, can you?" she asked. "You...you have no real power. That's why you need an enemy and spies and-and cages!"

"What?" gasped Elphaba. "You mean I'm stuck green?"

"Ladies, ladies, please!" the Wizard held up his hands in a gesture of apology. "This problem with your skin is nothing. I have friends who can help, I can have them here in a few days and then you two will be right as rain."

"And what price do you expect us to pay for this?" Glinda asked suspiciously, her chest heaving in fear, or perhaps anticipation.

"Join me," the Wizard said, holding out his small, old hand. "Elphaba, Glinda..." He looked at both of the young women. "You two have so much ahead of you, you don't yet realize your importance. The world is your oyster, now! With my help, I'll make you whatever you wanna be. All of Oz will love you, if that's what you want."

Glinda looked in suspicion at the hand that was stretched out to her, knowing now what she did. But she had to do something, she could not go along with this, not when she knew the truth. She had to do something, she just _had_ to.

* * *

><p><strong>(AN: That took a while!)<strong>

**(I wish that could have turned out better, but I've planted enough seed for you to guess what might happen in the second half [I'm still gonna go into the second half]. Questions, concerns, request, etc. can go in the reviews, they're much welcomed.)  
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**(If you notice, though this fic is musical-verse, it isn't song-verse. So I had to borrow some of the essence of what Darth Vader said to Luke in _Empire Strikes Back_ to what the Wizard said to Elphaba, since there's no music and I've got to get the essence of _Wicked_ across in prose.)  
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	11. Thank Goodness

**(AN: Lol, you don't want to hear why this took so long, so just read and be thankful we have an update to this surprisingly popular [lol] story.)  
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* * *

><p><strong>Thank Goodness<br>**

_Three years later..._

"Fiyero!" Elphaba's usually dry, mirthless voice sang from the other end of the room. Fiyero, now Captain of the Gale Force, the Wizard's secret police, turned to see the tall, green-skinned woman saunter towards him. Though he was not one to impose 'rules' on anyone, she was certainly acting giddy for someone of her age. Then again, he didn't really know how old she was, nor did he have the courage to ask.

"Yes, Elphaba?" he asked, turning from the mirror into which he had been examining his reflection and to the young witch.

"Fiyero, please," she dismissed. "You can call me 'Galinda' in private." She giggled. "We're the only ones who know."

"Yeah, I guess." Fiyero sighed. He had been told the 'whole truth' after arriving at the Emerald City three years ago by Galinda, that is _this_ Elphaba. Apparently, there had been a body switch and now his girlfriend was inside the body of that odd green girl.

For his part, he remembered that day with the Lion cub and thought back on it constantly. There had been a change in 'Galinda' as far back as that. And he had liked the change, thinking that, perhaps, this little blond was more than just eye candy. After all, the things she had said and the looks she had given him: no one had ever talked that way to him, or looked at him that way, with such discerning accuracy. It was like she _knew_ who he really was.

And then Elphaba, that is the _real_ Galinda, told him the truth and his world was turned on its head.

"How do I look?" she asked, breaking his train of thought. Elphaba was wearing a fashionable dress of green and cream-like white, with many tiny emeralds upon the dress that made it sparkle in the light. The raven black hair had been tied at the back and flowed down the back of her head like a waterfall of oil, trapping the rays of the moonlight. On her head she wore a tiny white hat with a feather of some kind that the _real_ Elphaba would not even be caught dead wearing.

"Uh," he stammered. "I think...it works great."

"Aww, you think so?" she cooed. "Now, come on, we can't be late for my speech."

"Coming!" he said, as she bounced out of the room and he turned back to the mirror to check his reflection. The hair was good, his uniform wrinkle and lint free. He sighed, feeling all at once handsome and yet horribly rotten for going along with this whole charade.

"Fiyero!" she sang out again.

"I'm coming," he said, as he unbuttoned the top brass button for a moment, breathed, then sealed it back up.

Outside, there stood a tall platform upon which stood Elphaba, Madam Morrible and that odd little man with the orange beard and whiskers, who guarded the gate of the Emerald Palace. Before them thronged a sea of all shades of green, where the people of Oz shared rumors and news from abroad. On all their minds, of course, was the Wicked Witch of the North, as she was called, who had betrayed the Wizard a year ago. So many people, it seemed, were so heart-broken that one of their own had defied the Wizard. It had been a very rough blow for the people of Gilikin.

As Fiyero mounted the stage, he saw two others standing there, behind Madam Morrible. He also saw that Elphaba was doing her best to avoid looking at them. One was tall, blond-haired with an hour-glass shape figure and a very regal bearing. The other, an older man, was leaning on a cane and seemed to be dozing off ever so slightly. He had hair so white and thin it looked like floss, and a short beard and mustache also of white.

_Who are these two, and why won't Galinda look at them? Wait a minute...am I _thinking?

"Fellow Ozians," Elphaba began, speaking into a low microphone that stood before her. "As terrifying as terror is, let us put aside our panic for this one day." All were silenced as they listened with wrapped attention to every word spoken by the Wizard's Vizir, his right hand.

"And _celebrate!_" she suddenly squealed.

* * *

><p>It was finally over. The public speech had gone rather well, exactly as rehearsed. The only surprise, of course, was Elphaba's revelation that she and Fiyero were engaged. He tried to act surprised, but part of him wondered if he really was interested in this. After all, if it had been the <em>real<em> Galinda, this kind of thing would have been expected. But to see Elphaba, even if it were only the green skinned woman on the outside, act like such a child, made him question everything he knew.

The worst part, however, was when Madam Morrible came on. She went on for what seemed like hours, talking about how sad it was that a good, upstanding, Gilikinese society girl had turned evil. She then told them all that, as their duty to the Wizard, they were to tell the Gale Force, and Fiyero as their new captain, if they had any information about the whereabouts of the Wicked Witch of the North. No one stepped forward. But the worst part, Fiyero thought, was when the two people he had seen before were brought forward by Madam Morrible. Larena and Quelala Upland, Galinda's parents, publicly disowned and disinherited her before all of greater Oz.

From the sidelines, he could see Elphaba trying in vain to hold back tears.

Once it was over, he went in search of Elphaba. He found her in her room, kneeling against her bed, with her face buried in the covers, weeping profusely.

"Galinda?" he asked, as gently pushed open the door.

"Go away!" she sobbed.

"Galinda, please," he said, walking in despite of what she had said. "Tell me what's wrong. I'll help if I can, or try if I can't."

"Oh, Fiyero!" she wept on. "Momsy and Popsicle disowned me!"

"I know, I was there," he said grimly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't you get it?" she returned, looking up from her bed. Her mascara, which Fiyero secretly knew Elphaba would never wear, was flowing down in streams of blue, violet and black down emerald cheeks. "It's all Elphie's fault! I'm stuck in this hideoucious green body, I can only stay here, in the City, where people don't stare at me because of my skin color, and now I can't go back home!" She wept again, this time throwing herself upon Fiyero.

"I don't wanna be green!" she wailed. "I want things back the way they were!"

And Fiyero could do nothing but wrap his arms around her and be there for her in silent understanding and consolation.

* * *

><p><strong>(AN: Obviously we're now in Act II. No song-verse, so I thought that doing another prose version of "Defying Gravity" would be horribly boring. But, fear not, that shall happen, just not yet [-wink wink-].)<strong>

**(Next chapter is going to come up soon, but it will be another re-imagining of a favorite scene from_ Wicked_, but it will end with a twist.)  
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	12. A Colwen Showdown

**(AN: Here's the next chapter, as promised.)  
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* * *

><p><strong>A Colwen Showdown<br>**

Colwen Grounds, Munchkinland. A tiny figure, clad all in black, was creeping along the hedge that served as the border and fence of a very tall and large mansion of the Munchkinlanders. There was little security, and so the figure was able to sneak through the hedge and up to a round window in the side of the mansion. A spell, quietly spoken, opened the window and the tiny figure jumped up to attempt to crawl through.

Inside the mansion of the Governor of Munchkinland, Nessarose Thropp was at her desk, pouring over various large tomes and ledgers. Being the Governor, or governess as the case may be, of Munchkinland was no easy task.

Suddenly, there was a sound at the window. Turning her chair about, she let out a startled yelp.

"Galinda?" she exclaimed. "Why are you here? What are you doing in my window?"

Sure enough, there she was. Three years had thinned out the tiny, voluptuous Gilikinese girl, but the window was still a tight squeeze. She struggled for a moment or two, then came tumbling into the room, cursing underneath her breath as she rose to her feet and dusted herself. Quite unlike her former appearance from Shiz, Galinda, now known to the public as Glinda the Wicked Witch of the North, was clad all in black, with her blond hair tied back in a utilitarian bun at the back of her head. No more mascara or eye liner accentuated the beauty of her face. The real Galinda Upland would not be caught dead in such a shambolic mess. Then again, this was not actually Galinda Upland. This was Elphaba, Nessarose's sister, in Galinda's body.

"It's so good to see you," Glinda said, turning to Nessarose.

"Uh, thank you," Nessarose said, a little startled at first, then suddenly came to herself. She leaned up from her wheelchair and placed her hand on Glinda's mouth. "Follow me." She whispered.

Led by Nessarose in her wheelchair, Glinda walked aside to Nessarose's private study, where the door was closed. The Governess closed the shutters and drapes over all the windows, giving the room a dark, reddish atmosphere, like the inside of a furnace.

"You can't be here," she said at last. "I mean, you're a fugitive! Do you realize what's going to happen if the Emerald City knows I'm harboring a fugitive?"

"I'm sorry," Glinda sighed. "I just wanted to stop by here and see how things were."

"Why?" Nessa asked. "Since when have you cared for anything or anyone but yourself?"

"Since the past three years," Glinda replied. "Since I became a fugitive for the Animals."

"I never knew you cared so much about them," Nessa began. "It must have been Elphaba's good nature rubbing off on you. You know, she's now living full-time at the Emerald City. I hear she's working for the Wizard! Oh, Father was so proud when he heard the news!" She sighed sorrowfully.

Glinda, meanwhile, was trying hard to hold back tears from her eyes as well. For, inside her, Elphaba knew that her Father had been proud of his green-skinned daughter. But it was not _her_, but Galinda in her own body.

"Where is he?" Glinda asked.

"He died, just last year," Nessa sighed sadly. "There was a carriage accident. One of the bridges along the Yellow Brick Road gave out while he was on it. They brought him back here, but he was too far gone." She sobbed. "He told me to take over as Governor when he was gone, that he..." She sobbed. "That he was so proud of _his_ Elphaba!"

Glinda held up a hand to shield her eyes, watering up already. Her Father was dead, and now he would never get to see _her_, his _true_ daughter, do something that would make him proud.

"_His_ Elphaba," Nessarose scoffed grimly. "If only she'd come back home and do something about me!" She struck the arm of her wheelchair in anger, but she only groaned in frustration.

"What's wrong?" Glinda asked.

"It's nothing," Nessa wiped her eyes. "It's just that, well, if Elphaba's really as powerful as I know she is, she could do some _real_ good right here at home, rather than in the Emerald City. I mean, I'm her sister for Oz's sake! Why won't she come here and do something about my legs?!"

For a moment, Glinda was silent, then she removed the heavy tome from her black bag and set it on the ground, kneeling over it as she began fingering through the pages of the book.

_Ambulahn Dare Pahto Pahpoot Ambulahn Dasca Caldapess  
>Lahfenahto Lahfenahtum Pede Pede Caldapess<em>

Suddenly, a flash of red light exploded around the silver slippers Nessarose wore on her feet. Three years ago, at the start of the school year, their father Frexspar Thropp had given them to his youngest daughter. Now Elphaba, that is the _real_ Elphaba, though in Glinda's body, would make good, even as she knew she was supposed to. Nessa was crying out, but she paid her no heed: it would all be over soon, the final debt paid.

Nessa rose out of her chair, then fell to the floor. Glinda rushed to her side, but she swatted the little blond away, saying that she didn't need help. Slowly, the little auburn-haired young woman pushed herself up off the ground, now standing on unfaltering feet.

"Glinda," Nessa said, in a voice whose emotion was impossible to discern. "I think the rumors about you are untrue."

"Oh, Nessa..." she replied, trying in vain to hold back the tears.

"But still, you shouldn't have done this," Nessa replied, turning away. "It should be Elphaba doing this. She's my sister, after all, and it is _her_ fault that I'm this way."

"Because of what your father said?" Glinda asked.

"Oh, shut up!" Nessa retorted, her voice angry. "You don't know anything about my father, or about my life. You didn't have to spend twenty-two years living trapped in this hideous wheelchair!" She struck at the chair with her hand, swatting it away angrily. "Never loved or cared for out of anything more than _pity!_"

"I'm so sor..."

But at that moment, the door was opened and in came one of the last people Glinda, that is Elphaba, had expected to see in here. Well, maybe not the last, but certainly not her first guess.

"I heard shouting, Madam," Boq said. "Are you al..." He then turned to the little blond and his eyes exploded.

"Glinda!" he exclaimed, arms open in gesture of welcome.

"Boq, please, we need to talk."

"I've taken care of her for three years, just like you said," he interrupted. "And in all that time, I always knew you'd come for me." He turned to Nessarose. "I'm sorry, Madam Governor, but..." Then his eyes exploded again.

"S-She can walk?"

"Yes," Nessa nodded. "She gave me a whole new life!"

"Well, this changes everything!" Boq exclaimed. "I'll go to my room and pen my resignation immediately."

"Resignation?" both Nessa and Glinda asked at the same time.

"Yes," he began. "But you weren't here, were you, Glinda? I took care of her, for three long years, just as you had told me that day at the Train Station. When she became governor, she asked me to stay on as her personal assistant. Well, since you hadn't come back, I thought I'd do that and wait until you found me. I mean, after all, it's kind of exciting, being in love with a fugitive and everything."

"In love?" Nessarose asked in disbelief. "I thought you stayed on because you cared about me!"

"Oh, please, Nessa," Boq sighed, trying to sound understanding. "I lost my heart to Glinda from the moment I first saw her. You know that."

"Boq, listen," Glinda interrupted. "There's something I need to tell you, something I should have told you all those years ago. I don't love you, I never did. I-I...you wouldn't leave me alone, and I wanted to go to the Ozdust Ball with Fiyero. I sent you to Nessarose thinking you'd forget about me, or at least think that you were doing a favor for me. I should have just told you the truth right from the very beginning, I'm sorry."

Silence filled the mansion of the governor of Munchkinland, as both Nessarose and Boq stood there with their mouths hanging open.

"I-I don't believe you," Boq stammered.

"You did what?" Nessa asked.

"Please, Nessa, try to understand..."

"It's Governor Thropp to you," she said, her voice rising in anger. "And here I thought you were giving me the first happy night of my life by pairing me up with him! I was just a tool to you, wasn't I?"

_Oh Shiz,_ Elphaba thought.

"Glinda, you must know how much I love you!" Boq insisted. "I would do anything for..."

"Oh, shut up, Boq!" Nessarose shouted at him. The Munchkin-lad shrank in quivering fear at her voice, angry and threatening. She then turned her angry eyes to Glinda. "And you! I could wring your neck with my bare hands!"

Nessarose ran at the tiny blond, intent on making good her threat. Boq, on the other hand, ran towards her as well, trying to keep her from doing Glinda any harm. There was a sudden flash of fire, then a burst of sulfur-smelling cloud and the tiny blond girl disappeared.

* * *

><p>Outside the governor's mansion, Glinda reappeared, her chest heaving up and down from how narrow her escape had been. Her sister's hands had been so close, her fingers looked as large as tree-branches of the fighting trees of the Pine Barrens. She didn't expect this kind of turnout. Then again, she didn't really know why she had come here after all. She should be out there, helping the Animals.<p>

But that was easier said than done for Glinda the Wicked Witch of the North. For, although she was a fugitive and an outlaw, none of the Animals ever trusted her. They called her privileged and spoiled, that she had no real idea of what their lives were like: she was, after all, a normal, beautiful Ozian who had everything to lose by helping them. Some of the more fanatical ones barefacedly called her an enemy and a spy. She remembered with horrible accuracy one such event. They had gone so far as to throw bricks and rotten food at her. Some of the bolder ones actually tried to attack her. She was quick on her feet and escaped with her life, but those hands, furry, clawed, hooved and whatnot, which she had always believed were friendly, now turned against her, their protector, made her efforts of no avail.

She had to get this body-swap reversed, yet she had not the foggiest idea about where to start. She had heard, in the Emerald Palace, some talk about 'La Mombey', but there had not been many details. Maybe if she found this La Mombey person, she might be able to find a solution to this problem. Then again, maybe it was some agent of theirs, loyal to the Wizard, who would turn her in as soon as he or she knew who she, Glinda, was.

_I'll have to risk it,_ she thought.

* * *

><p><strong>(AN: Here's something to take your mind of the hate-mongering US election of 2012 [that's all I'm gonna say about it]: new chapters!)<strong>

**(Lots to swallow, but here's the gist of this scene. Since Frexspar did not "die in shame", Nessarose is not as bitter at Elphaba as she was in "The Wicked Witch of the East" scene. Furthermore, he died in peace and [relative] happiness, and, while Nessa was obviously 'alone', she did not seize power as in _The Trials of Boq and Nessa_, but was more or less elected and didn't turn into as much of a witch as before. Also, Boq is not coerced into being her servant, because he thinks he's doing Glinda a favor and that she will find him when she is ready [since she's on the run, he doesn't know where she's at].)  
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**(If there are any other questions [hopefully regarding the chapter, because I will not, I repeat, I will NOT answer any political questions. I have friends and loved ones on both sides and both candidates are BS], do not hesitate to review.)  
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	13. A Conspiracy

**(AN: It's been far too long, so, on the heels of an AWESOME college voice recital [I sang "Wonderful" from _Wicked_], I'm gonna post a new chapter.)  
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* * *

><p><strong>A Conspiracy<strong>

Elphaba was at her mirror, cleaning up after what had happened. It was silly of her to break down like that, but she just couldn't hold it in. The sight of Galinda's parents, that is to say her own, publicly disowning her, was almost more than she could bear. Fiyero had been there for her, but he couldn't really help her in this situation. His parents, she assumed, must have by now gotten used to his behavior and, from the way he acted, he didn't seem the least bit worried by the prospect of being disowned.

But she was different. She missed being wealthy and influential: now she was just a puppet of the Wizard, a tyrant's tool worth less than the Animals she saw being oppressed.

Thus she sat, alone in her dressing room, weeping away to the emptiness, completely unaware of the black-clad figure stealing into her dressing room. So engrossed was she in her sadness that she was not aware of a presence in her room until it was gone. Looking about, she saw nothing out of the ordinary, then turned back to her mirror only to find something stuck into the rim. A letter! She pried it off her mirror and opened it up. For a moment she gasped, recognizing the hand-writing of the _real_ Elphaba Thropp. She lived with her at Shiz, she could tell which handwriting hers was and which was her own. No one else knew because she had entered the public eye in Elphaba's body, and wrote after her own fashion. With that in mind, she read the letter, which was more of a hastily-written note.

_Come to the eastern end of the Gilikin Forest. There is a cottage near the foothills of the Madeleines, meet me there. I may have found a way to change what has happened. - Elphaba Thropp_

Her heart leaped as she read those words. In her heart, she hoped against hope that Elphaba would come through and help her: but now it happened. She would finally be back in her own body, with her milky white skin and golden curls. She hated being ostracized and shunned outside of the Emerald City. But more than that, she longed to be back in the 'comfortable' environment of her own body.

But then she suddenly became aware that this might be a trap. But a trap for whom? Herself? How could she fall into a trap going somewhere? If anything, this would have been meant for Galinda, and therefore she hoped would not have been placed here if meant for a trap.

_Alright,__ Elphie,_ she thought. _I'm going to take the chance._

* * *

><p>Gilikin, the Northern country of Oz. A land of forests and plains and mountains, long held as the ruling lands of Oz. The majority of the Midlands, the Uplands and the Upper Lowlands were dominated by the Great Gilikin Forest. One could easily lose themselves within it, for it was vast and still greatly unexplored. Recently, Animals fled from the persecution of the Wizard into the Forest. Even though Gilikin was completely under the control of the Wizard, they still had great difficulty routing the Animals from the Forest. If anyone or anything wanted to hide here, this was the perfect place.<p>

Somewhere on the southern borders of the forest, deep within the trees, a figure in an ugly violet dress, whose color had long since faded and whose fashion had gone out of style sometime during one of the Ozmas, was slowly trudging along, eying the trees suspiciously. While this was not the Pine Barrens, living trees might sprout up wherever their nuts and acorns might end up. And not all the trees in Gilikin were curmudgeonly only: some had been bribed or threatened by the agents of the Wizard to serve as spies, constantly seeking the Animals hidden in this part of Oz.

If Old Mombi was anything, she was suspicious of everyone and everything. It kept her alive.

At last, there was a sound of rustling and she turned about, hands open as though she would cast a spell. Instead, she found the short blond woman in black who had found her cottage. She had asked for a meeting and, reluctantly, Mombi ordered this place to be the spot for it to take place.

"You're certainly on time," Mombi said to the young woman. "You weren't very explicit when we first spoke, mind telling me why I'm risking my life for you?"

"I'm trapped inside this body," the girl said, indicating to her petite form. "I want to be back in my own body."

"Oh, so that's it, then," grumbled Mombi. "Well, I'm not interested. I don't do charity work. Thank you for wasting my time and good day." She turned aside as though she would hobble away.

"How do you know the Wizard?" the girl asked.

"Do you want to repeat that?" Mombi sneered suspiciously.

"That's how I heard about you," said the blond. "The Wizard and his Press Secretary Madam Morrible were talking about you, specifically regarding my situation."

"So, you're one of her agents, are you?" growled the old woman. "You can go back and tell the Wizard I'm not his servant. I already did his dirty work: I want to live my life in peace."

"I jus..." the blond began, and then halted. "Just what kind of dirty work did you do?"

"Like you'd want to know!" growled the old woman, who then turned her back on the blond. Suddenly, a fire-ball was thrown her way. It knocked Mombi off her feet, but she was not seared. She rolled about uncharacteristically fast and held out her hand, sending another fire-ball at the little witch.

"You really have a death-wish, don't you, blondie?" laughed Mombi.

"I just want your help!"

"Why should I help you?"

"Because I know you're a shape-shifter," the blond stated. "That's why I came to you. If anyone can help me, it's you."

The old woman slowly lowered her hands. "Maybe I can do it, but not without the other person. If what you say is true, and you've been transmuted, I will need the other one here to put you back in your proper body."

Suddenly, there was a loud crash and the sound of cursing and muffled groaning. Glinda turned her about and saw, lying by the stump of a tree, the green-clad form of Elphaba. With one hand and keeping her eyes on Mombi, she lifted the young witch up onto her feet.

"Glad you made it," Glinda said.

"I'm not as good as flying as I thought," she grumbled. "I crashed the bubble machine."

"The what machine?" Glinda asked.

"More on that later," Elphaba dismissed. "So you said this was important?" Glinda gestured to Old Mombi and Elphaba shrieked.

"Please, not so loud!" Glinda retorted, both hands over her ears.

"That's Old Mombi!" Elphaba whimpered. "She's the one who haunts the Gilikin Forest! She lures little kids to her cottage and eats them alive!"

"You shouldn't believe everything they say," Mombi said. "Most of it's just lies anyway."

"So," Glinda said, turning to the old witch. "Can you help us?"

"Sure," Mombi replied. "First, tell me what happened the last time you remembered being in your proper body."

"Wait, why the sudden..."

"Shh!" Elphaba shushed Glinda, then turned to Mombi. "I remembered Fif...I mean, Fiyero, and myself going on a date. We were talking about Elphie, and there were some things said...well, we weren't really being that nice."

"Hmm," Mombi stated. She then turned to Glinda. "How long have you possessed the gift?"

"Gift, what gift?"

"Magic."

"Oh, all my life."

"Then that is the answer," Mombi stated. "You caused this to happen, and you two need to be the ones who break the spell."

"But how?" Elphaba and Glinda asked as one.

"Simply speak the words 'I wish to be myself again' and I will do the rest."

"Together?" Elphaba asked.

"Of course," Glinda replied.

"No need to be snippy, Elphie!"

"I'm really tired of being in this body, I want to be done with it!"

"So do I."

"I wish to be myself again!"

The two were enveloped in white light, that grew so bright they could see nothing else but themselves. Then, in their eyes, all was black and they felt nothing, saw nothing and knew nothing. For a brief moment, their souls were in transit. The first time, this had taken place at night when they were both asleep and they remembered it not. Now they knew for the first time was it was like to be dead. They would never forget it. Then it all came flooding back: feeling all across their bodies, sight in their eyes, blood in their veins and knowledge in their minds. They were suddenly aware again and they were flooded with so much that it was almost painful. The light had faded and they both fell to the floor of the forest.

Slowly, Elphaba rose up, examining her hand. For the first time in three years, she was happy to see long, clever green fingers wiggling. She stood up quickly, feeling suddenly light-headed: she was tall again. She looked down at her body, thin and - to some - bony, but it was hers. Then she gasped at the green dress she was in. Her hands reached back and found her hair done up in some fashionable way she would never have done.

Nearby, she saw Glinda rising to her feet, examining her body from head to toe. Predictably, she gasped when she saw that she was clad in black.

"What have you done to me?" they both asked in unison.

"Ugh!" Glinda, back in her own body, exclaimed at the black dress. "This is the most hideoucious thing I've ever seen, and it's black!" She moved a foot clumsily under a heavy, flat-footed boot. "Ugh, and you wore boots!"

"Green?" Elphaba asked incredulously. "Green? Seriously? Green?!"

"Well, I've been staying at the Emerald City," Glinda replied. "I mean, it's not like I could go places and not get stared at."

"But green!"

"No one sees green when the whole city is green," Glinda stated. "Besides, green goes good with green."

Suddenly there were shouts. The two witches looked about and Mombi had disappeared, laughter on her lips. They looked back, and saw the distant shapes of Gale Force soldiers running through the woods.

"Oh Shiz!" Glinda exclaimed.

"Run, Glinda!" Elphaba said, flinging the green, emerald-studded heeled shoes from off her feet. Sure, she would be running on rocks, acorns and pine-cones and pine-needles, but at least she would be running and not tripping on those Oz-awful heels.

"I have breasts, Elphie! Large breasts. Do you know how hard it is to run with these?" she gestured to her ample bosom.

"You'll run or you'll get captured," Elphaba returned. "They still think you're me!"

"Oh, great, Elphie!" Glinda growled. "You know, I specifically told you not to do anything crazy while you're in my...hey, wait a minute! I'm still talkin' to you!"

But Elphaba was on the run, dodging in between the trees as shouts and gun-fire came flying her way. Behind her, screaming with each shot, was Glinda, hobbling along on huge boots. They ran for at least ten minutes, until it seemed that their mouths were on fire, yet the pursuit was still hot on their trail. Suddenly, Glinda was grabbed by Elphaba and pulled behind a tree. Before she could cry out, a green hand covered her mouth.

"Quiet, Glinda!" Elphaba hissed. She then took her into the hollowed-out trunk of a large tree, older than they could guess. Once inside, she placed inside and started undressing.

"Wait, Elphie, what are you doing?"

"We're switching," she said. "I'm sure all of Oz will believe I had used a spell to make myself look like you. Come on, before we're discovered!"

* * *

><p>The Gale Force had now split up, searching every corner of the forest as far as they dared to go. At last, however, it seemed that they had once again been fooled. One by one, they reported back into their commander, Fiyero, and reported their failure. He applauded their work and told them to keep searching. As they were walking, suddenly one of them cast his eyes to his side and saw a tiny blond somewhere in the trees.<p>

"There she is!" he shouted.

One by one, the guards ran towards her, with Fiyero in the rear, musket in hand. The guards seized the little blond, who kicked and protested as hard and as fast as she could, but to no avail. As they were dragging her away, one of the guards was hit with a fire-ball which knocked him off his feet and burned his coat. They turned and saw a figure clad in black with a mad look in her dark eyes.

"It's not her!" the green-skinned, black-clad witch said. "She has _nothing_ to do with it! I'm the one you want, it's me!"

But before they could catch her, she mounted her broom and took off into the sky.

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><p><strong>(AN: Yay, they're back in their original bodies and we got to have a "Defying Gravity" moment! And, for once, Mombi got to have an evil moment [I think I made her too helpful in my WickedOz series fics, so she got to lead them into a trap.)  
><strong>

**(But we're not done, not yet. I still need to wrap things up for real. For instance, Fiyero's gotten rather attached to Glinda, so what's going to happen when he finds out that she's changed _again_? Oh, there's some good stuff on the horizon, be sure of that!)  
><strong>


	14. Betrayal

**(AN: New chapter! I don't have much further to go, because we've seen the switch and we now need the consequences.)  
><strong>

**(Thanks for the reviews. I ship Fiyeraba, I always have and always will [sometimes Gelphie, but not very frequently]. I don't ship Flinda out of principle. If the handsome prince [Fiyero] and the beautiful-yet-spoiled-rotten princess [Glinda] get together, there's no hope for the rest of the homely, messed up people like myself and Elphaba. So no matter how much I might loathe Elphaba right now [seriously, Eden, why do you hate me?!], she's not going to end up forever alone. [can't believe some people actually _want_ that])  
><strong>

**(Glinda needs to not get her way, because that helps her realize that she can't get everything she wants and needs to face it. While that might seem cruel, seriously, Glinda's led a very privileged life, getting everything she ever wanted [up until Shiz], whereas Elphaba has not. However, for getting her way, Elphaba ended up poorly, whereas [and this is just my assumption] Glinda, for not getting her way, began to feel more empathic towards people in general, which is why, apart from Elphaba's "commission", which we never really hear what it is, and decides to become...well, you'll see.)  
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><p><strong>Betrayal<strong>

Glinda was back in her body and back in the Emerald City. After a brief council with Madam Morrible, an appropriate cover story was fabricated. They were always the same person, but the Witch had cast a spell over them, making herself look like Glinda and vice verse. Glinda wasn't fully accepting of this until she heard that, due to the popularity of this story, her family decided to re-inherit her in a public party before the Emerald Palace. Glinda was practically giddy, barely able to keep her excitement. There was an old proverb in Gilikin folklore, one which sat appropriately with her current situation.

_Happiness is what happens when all your dreams come true._

After being formally re-inherited, Glinda went in search of Fiyero. He was present at the re-inheritance, but seemed strangely distant. She walked all throughout the palace, until she found him in the courtyard of the Emerald Palace. Here, just before the door that served as the entrance of the Emerald Palace, there was a great courtyard of emerald pavement, dotted with green shrubbery and green flowers. There was a green fountain in the center of the courtyard and a gold-green fence separated the palace grounds from the rest of the city.

It felt good to be outside for a change. The Emerald Palace, while dark enough that one need not wear the emerald-shaded glasses, was also so dark that Glinda often felt depressed and gloomy in its austere halls. Better to be out in the green-shaded light of the sun - or was it the sun? - than cooped up in a dark hallway. She bounced about the gardens, spinning as aptly as she could on her heeled shoes. She let out a contented giggle, then turned to Fiyero, and remembered why she had come out here in the first place.

"Fiyero!" she sang gleefully.

"Hmm?" he asked, roused from his thoughts. "Oh, hello, Glinda."

"I'm so thrillified to be back in my body!" she exclaimed. "And I'm so happy to be back with you, dearest." She rested her head against his shoulder. Yet, even though many, including Elphaba, thought her brainless, she could tell that he was not returning her warmest affections.

"Fiyero, what's wrong?" she asked, looking up at his face.

"I don't know," he returned. "I've just been thinking..."

"Oh, no!" Glinda bemoaned.

"I...Oz, I just don't know," Fiyero said. "Something has changed within me, you know what I mean? Or maybe it's not me at all, maybe it's..."

"What?" Glinda asked. "What do you think has changed?"

"I don't know!" Fiyero sighed, ruffling his hair in frustration. "I just wish there were an easier way to say this. I mean, before, with the Lion cub, you seemed so much more mature..."

"But that wasn't me," she shook her head. "I thought we talked about this. I was Elphaba since about the first of Feb, three years ago."

"I don't know," he sighed. "There was a moment between us, I mean, between myself and you when she was in your body. It...well, it was, it was different."

"Different? What do you mean?"

"Maybe it was the way she looked at me, or the words she said," Fiyero began. "It just seemed different. It was like she was looking at me, in a way that nobody else had ever looked at me before: like she knew exactly who I was. I..." He sighed again. "I probably don't think she would feel the same about me. I mean, she's not exactly used to being..." He looked down at Glinda, and saw her smile twisted with awful realization.

"Fiyero, what are you saying?" Glinda gasped.

"Nothing, never-mind," he shook his head. "Never live in doubts or second-guesses, right? Listen, I...I wish there were something I could say to you, to make you see what..."

"Go, Fiyero," Glinda bowed her head, her voice breaking with emotion. "Just go!"

He slowly started to walk away, then turned back to Glinda. He could hear sniffling.

"I really am..."

"Don't say another word, Fiyero Tiggular, just go!" Glinda called back.

Slowly and with a heavy heart, Fiyero turned away. He was about to risk everything with this move. Surely Glinda wouldn't take him back after this, and there was no reason or proof that Elphaba would accept him either. She probably didn't believe in love, being too busy with her studying or whatever she did. The only outcome he saw as being real was that he would end up being rejected by _both_ women he had loved. Yes, he had loved Glinda once upon a time, but now he loved another.

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><p>"Alright," Elphaba admitted, holding up her hands.<p>

She had sneaked into the Wizard's throne room to free the Flying Monkeys, but the old humbug had caught her. Rather than calling his guards, he had tried to make a deal with her: come back to his side and start afresh. He promised that he would clear her name and make her 'wonderful' just like him. She had had enough of running and fighting, just as he had said. And now...

"I'll accept your proposition..."

"Wonderful!" the Wizard exclaimed.

"Under one condition..." she said, raising her hand.

"Anything!"

"You set those monkeys free!" she retorted, pointing back to the throne room, where their aviary cage was hidden behind heavy curtains.

The Wizard thought this over for a moment, then scratched the balding patch on his head, before at last almost bowing as he exclaimed: "Done!" Quicker on his feet than one would expect for someone of his age, the Wizard ran back behind the curtains and pulled the lever. The aviary swung open and a dozen Flying Monkeys went jumping, winging and screaming in every direction. The one she had met, Chistery, flew down before the green-skinned woman and looked at her oddly. But when she scratched the hair beneath his chin, the monkey knew who she was and happily squawked. She then whispered instructions into his ears and watched with delight as they all took wing, flying away from the Emerald Palace.

All would have gone well had not Elphaba seen something moving under a blanket in the aviary. Despite the Wizard's admonitions, Elphaba ran inside and tore off the blanket, only to shrink back in horror, a cry of shock escaping her lips.

"Doctor Dillamond?" she asked in disbelief.

"Oh, him," the Wizard said ruefully. "He was a big activist for Animal Rights, but he spoke out against my rule. We couldn't let him continue, so..."

But Elphaba wasn't listening now. She was on her knees, reaching out a hand to her former professor, trying to comfort him. The goat bleated mournfully and shook away from her as she tried to touch him.

"Doctor Dillamond, it's alright," the green woman said to the goat. "It's me, it's Elphaba. Don't you remember me?" The goat bleated again, but said nothing. "Can't you even speak?" The goat gave her nothing but a mournful bleat, then turned away and hobbled off on all fours.

"I am _nothing_ like you!" Elphaba said venomously, turning towards the Wizard. The little man was backing away nervously, hands raised in a sign of defense. "You said everyone comes to you so you'll grant them their heart's desire. Well, you wanna know what mine is? That's to be your enemy! And I will be: I'll fight you till the day I die!"

But she had hesitated too long, and the Wizard had run for cover behind the giant head. It was moving again, lights flashing and its horn-like voice blaring loudly.

"_**Guards! Guards! She's here, the Witch!**_" boomed the voice of the giant head.

Suddenly Elphaba found herself surrounded by the Wizard's guards, a dozen or more muskets pointed in her direction. Despite the rumors that had recently spread after Glinda's public "re-acceptance" - such as her deathly aversion to water - and the 'official' declaration that the Witch had used her for her own ends, Elphaba knew that she would not survive if she were shot by them all.

"Are you alright, Your Ozness?" a familiar voice asked.

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><p><strong>(AN: I'm gonna cut it off here, so you'll be eager to hear what's going to happen next. I think, however, that I don't need to detail more, but just jump to the end, since the rest will just be by the "book" more or less. What do you say? Should the next chapter be what happens next or the end chapter?)<br>**

**(I think I'm much more fair to our male characters in the _Wicked_ story than Winnie Holzman was [just my opinion]. I captured Fiyero's inner struggle about leaving Glinda and gambling on whether you-know-who would be interested in him. I think that gets ignored in romance stories: the man is running a great gamble hoping that the woman will be into him, and in Fiyero's stead, he's risking losing all if she rejects him [which he thinks she will, because he doesn't know if she feels the same way about him as he does about her]. In romance stories, it's always the woman who's shown as the one who has something to lose, never the man.)  
><strong>

**(That's just my little rant. Please review, I do so love your reviews.)  
><strong>


	15. Last Words

**(AN: Oz-fever's got a hold on me after seeing _Oz the Great and Powerful_, or maybe I'm running out of space for more updates for my other stories. Either way, I'm going to finish this story and probably bring out a sequel to _The Murder and It's Afterlife._ Yes, I promised that would be the end of the Ozian Adventures series, and it is at these times when even the best of us must eat our own words. [sorry, that's _Harry Potter_.])**

**(Well, there won't be that much dialogue in this chapter since it's more of an epilogue, but I will try to bring our two characters' story arcs to an appropriate emotional conclusion.)**

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><p><strong>Last Words<strong>

Kiamo Ko, the castle in the Greater Kells of the Vinkus belonging to Fiyero's family. After their liaison, Fiyero told Elphaba, the _real_ Elphaba Thropp, back in her body again, the location of the place and told her that he would meet her there and that they would be together forever. But that was before. Now he was gone, either dead or bleeding out in a corn-field in Munchkinland. Elphaba had quite literally gone off the handle thereafter, becoming indeed what she had once been in name only.

The Wicked Witch of the West.

But she was not completely forsaken. All of Oz had turned against her, the Wizard had sent someone to kill her, someone who had killed Nessarose. Yet even now she was not alone. She had finally saved the Flying Monkeys, who were now on her side and kept her company in the cold solitude of the castle. But now she was being visited by someone else, intent on saving her life: Glinda, the _real_ Glinda, having long since left behind the name of Galinda Upland. A royal pardon from the Wizard had turned her back into the public's friend and her, Elphaba, into the enemy.

Glinda was here, she would be here until the very end.

_Who can say if I've been changed for the better? I do believe I have been changed for the better..._

The two held hands, green on pale white. They looked into each other's eyes, hazel brown and sky blue. They had walked in each other's shoes, literally, and no one knew these women as well as they did themselves.

_And, because I knew you..._

Glinda reached up and tugged playfully at the rim of Elphaba's hat. She regretted those words she had said to Elphaba: at Center Munch, in the Wizard's throne room and what she had said behind her back, the last words she remembered saying before the transition. She had thought of Elphaba as nothing more than a social eyesore, an annoyance - pitiable and possibly likeable, but nothing more than an oddity. For the past three years, she had become this oddity and knew that she had been wrong.

_Because I knew you..._

Elphaba squeezed Glinda's hand tighter. A blond idiot she had thought Glinda had been. But three years in her horrendable shoes had given her the wisdom to see the life that Glinda lived and why she lived it. She was lonely, very lonely, and was willing to put herself through anything to be loved: just like she herself had been. Elphaba, who thought she was right about everything, had been proven wrong. Now there was no more time to make things up, to get back the time that had been stolen from them and that which they had fruitlessly wasted away. They had said their peace and the world was moving around them, ready to pick them up and send them wheeling away on the forward winds.

_Because I knew you..._

Nothing else mattered now. Regardless of what anyone might say if they found out or what they would make of it, they would remain as they were, hand in hand, arm in arm, heart in heart, even until death. Elphaba, the misunderstood green girl, the Wicked Witch of the West, as hungry for attention as anyone else. And Glinda, the misunderstood blond girl - believed to be vapid and shallow yet, beneath her blond hair, fair face and large bosom, resided something deeper that longed to be left free - was now forced to be the strong one and carry on without the green girl.

_I have been changed..._

Elphaba caressed Glinda's cheek with her hand. Soon they would have to part and be swept up, never to be one and whole again. Yet for one moment, one fleeting moment, they saw beyond the green skin and the makeup and saw themselves as they were seen by others, and knew each other better than anyone else ever would. For one moment, they realized the truth: they were meant to be together. Whether as lovers or friends, it mattered not. They were two halves of the same soul, two sides of the same coin. They knew that truth, beyond all outer appearances, beyond all lies, beyond anything the Wizard, Madam Morrible or the people of Oz might say.

And in that moment, they wrapped their arms around each other. In life or in death, they knew that they were both part of each other's story somehow. They knew that, no matter what happened next, because the other knew them so well and had become them, leaving their permanent hand-print on the book of their lives' stories, they would be together...

_For Good._

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><p><strong>(AN: I've always thought that <em>Wicked<em> the musical could have ended without showing that Elphaba lived and I would have liked it just the same. We see Glinda grow up and take charge of saving Oz and such, and it's a bitter-sweet ending. Grim, realistic and yet emotionally satisfying at the same time. That's why _Which Witch is Which?_ is ending here.)**

**(Hope you liked that. Read some of my other stories or stay on the look-out for new _Wicked_-based stories that might be popping up in the near future.)**


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